Open Access

ARTICLE

3D Printed PEDOT:PSS Flexible Electrochromic Devices for Patterned Displays

Manting Song^1,2, Changchen Gong^1,3, Ximei Liu^1,2,*

1 Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
2 School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
3 College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China

* Corresponding Author: Ximei Liu. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Multifunctional Conductive Hydrogels and Their Applications)

Journal of Polymer Materials 2025, 42(1), 111-123. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpm.2024.057957

Received 01 September 2024; Accepted 27 November 2024; Issue published 27 March 2025

Abstract

Flexible electrochromic devices (FECDs) demonstrate significant potential for applications in wearable electronics, military camouflage, and flexible smart displays. As a crucial electrochromic material, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is widely used in FECDs due to its excellent mechanical flexibility, tunable conductivity, and non-toxicity. However, the manufacturing process for patterned PEDOT:PSS electrochromic devices remains intricate, costly, and challenging to personalize. To address this challenge, we have developed a 3D-printable ink with controllable rheological properties through a concentration-tuning strategy, enabling programmable, patterned printing of PEDOT-based conductive polymer electrochromic layers. The 3D-printed FECDs exhibit outstanding electrochromic performance, including a high optical contrast (up to 47.9% at 635 nm), fast response times (t_c = 1.6 s; t_b = 0.6 s), high coloration efficiency (352 cm² C⁻¹), and good cycling stability (with only a 9.3% decrease in optical contrast after 100 electrochemical cycles). Finally, we utilize 3D printing technology to construct flexible, patterned PEDOT:PSS electrochromic devices with bespoke butterfly designs. This work establishes the theoretical foundation for the application of 3D printing technology in PEDOT:PSS flexible electrochromic devices.

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Keywords

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