Hybrid Electrochromic Materials for Sustainable and High-Performance IoT-Displays

In the era of global digitalisation, the Internet of Things (IoT), an interconnected network of devices sharing data, has revolutionised industries and daily life. At the core of the IoT's transformative power lies the pivotal role of human machine interfaces (HMIs; i.e., displays), in enabling humans to interact with and derive value (e.g., visual representations of data, monitoring of processes, control devices, etc.) from IoT-collected data. As a result, displays have become ubiquitous, shaping our digital experiences and interactions with the IoT. However, the proliferation of displays must be accompanied by careful sustainability considerations, particularly regarding power consumption. Reflective electrochromic displays (ECDs) offer a sustainable, ultra-low power IoT-HMI solution, with exceptional power efficiency (0.002 mW/cm2), no backlighting, compatibility with flexible substrates (f-ECDs) and additive manufacturing (AM) production (e.g., screen printing), enabling seamless integration and cost-effective, scalable production. However, critical challenges are yet hindering their large-scale use, including: i) the lack of multicoloured high-performance EC materials (ECMs), ii) the need for industry-compatible formulations suitable for testing in industrial processes and commercial devices, iii) the absence of optimised and sustainable f-ECD architectures to enhance material performance, and recyclability, and iv) incomplete sustainability and societal impact considerations. Addressing these challenges is of utmost importance to enable the successful development and widespread adoption of f-ECDs IoT-HMI. The HybrIoT project takes a comprehensive approach to address these challenges by harnessing the collective expertise of the project partners. This approach integrates multiple disciplines, including chemistry, materials science, device engineering, and manufacturing, to foster a multidisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration in the development of the next generation f-ECDs. Specifically, HybrIoT will develop innovative hybrid ECMs by combining multicoloured pyridine functionalised polythiophene polymers (Pyr-PT) with tungsten oxide quantum dots (WO3-QDs). This mixing of materials addresses stability and switching time issues, resulting in a synergistic material, able to deliver performances of interest for commercial applications (ΔT>30%; cyclability >5K cycles in f-ECDs; switching speed <5 sec). By integrating directing supramolecular interactions (i.e., Pyr coordination with WO3-QDs), the hybrid's structure can be tailored without affecting the manufacturing process. An asymmetric Fabry-Perot nanocavity-type f-ECD will be developed, allowing for further enriched colour states through optical interference effects, eliminating the need for additional materials. The use of QDs, quasi zero-dimensional particles with molecule-like properties, will enable ink formulation for AM platforms like screen printing, to create demonstration matrix ECDs, which will be integrated with other electronic components to simulate an IoT device of commercial interest (e.g., IoT shelf label), and evaluate their performance as HMIs. Throughout the project, HybrIoT remains committed to conducting sustainability and social impact assessments, ensuring responsible innovation. The project considers the broader implications of its technology, taking into account environmental and societal factors and gender balance aspects.