Cold atmospheric pressure plasma-assisted aerosol deposition of multi-colored dual band electrochromic VOxCyNz thin films

Organo-vanadium oxynitrides (VOxCyNz) thin films, with multi-colored dual band electrochromic (EC) properties of individually selective visible (VIS) light-near-infrared (NIR) light regions, were synthesized by cold atmospheric pressure plasma assisted-aerosol deposition (CAPPA-AD) method. VOxCyNz films were deposited by injecting the liquid VOCl3 aerosols to cold atmospheric pressure air plasma jet, and spraying onto 10 Ω/□ glass/indium tin oxide substrates at substrate temperatures of 405–455 °C for a short exposure duration of 90 s, and post cured at 300 °C for 60 min. Oxygen deficiency dv in vanadium oxides (VO2.5-dv) and nano-crystalline grains of V2O5 (001) plane produced in VOxCyNz films by CAPPA-AD exhibit VIS and NIR dual band EC properties for VOxCyNz films. Different potentials applied on CAPPA-AD VOxCyNz films can regulate Li + intercalated into and de-intercalated out from the films for altering three different EC modes, including the switching warm to cool mode with NIR modulation at yellow color state for potentials turn from 0 V to −1.64 V, green and blue multi-colored states with VIS modulation for potentials change from −1.76 V to −2.4 V, and both VIS and NIR modulation for yellow and blue multi-colored states at the potentials of 0 V and −2.4 V, respectively. [Display omitted] •Multi-colored dual band VOxCyNz films by cold atmospheric pressure plasma-assisted aerosol deposition (CAPPA-AD).•CAPPA-AD VOxCyNz films can individually regulate visible (VIS) and/or near-infrared (NIR) light regions.•CAPPA-AD VOxCyNz films independently alter NIR light regions for improving thermal comfort and reducing energy losses.•CAPPA-AD VOxCyNz films can separately switch VIS light regions for enhancing visual comfort and reducing energy losses.•CAPPA-AD VOxCyNz films can both switch VIS and NIR light regions for advancing indoor comfort and reduced energy losses.