Poly(Ionic Liquids) and Ionogels for Electrochromic Devices: Material Design and Additive Manufacturing Strategies

TL;DR

This paper explores how combining poly(ionic liquids) and ionogels with 3D printing can improve electrochromic devices for smart energy management.

Contribution

The paper uniquely integrates structure–property–processing relationships of PILs, ionogels, and additive manufacturing for electrochromic devices.

Findings

PILs and ionogels offer high ionic conductivity and tunable properties suitable for 3D printing.

Design guidelines for ink rheology and printing modalities help optimize electrochromic device fabrication.

Integration of AM can reduce costs and enable complex structures in smart devices.

Abstract

Escalating requirements for smart energy management are driving advances in functional electrochromic devices (ECDs), which are pivotal for the regulation of light, heat, and reduction in energy consumption in buildings, transportation, and smart devices. However, the commercialization of ECDs is hindered by com plex designs, high fabrication costs, and slow switching speeds. Additive manufacturing (AM, 3D-printing) emerges as a promising approach to overcome these limitations, as it enables the creation of complex structures, enhances design flexibility, and can reduce production costs. For such printed devices, materials combining poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) with ionogels—an emerging and promising class of materials known for their high ionic conductivity, stability, and tunable properties—are particularly suitable for integration with 3D printing. Comparing previous reviews that address PILs, ionogels, or AM modalities in isolation, this work uniquely combines the structure–property–processing relationships specific to the synergistic integration of these fields. Current work highlights recent progress in PIL/ionogel-based ECDs and distills specific design guidelines for optimizing ink rheology, balancing ionic conductivity with mechanical integrity, and selecting appropriate printing modalities. These insights provide a roadmap for overcoming current fabrication challenges and scaling up next-generation smart devices.

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