Defect engineering of W^(6+)-doped NiO for high-performance black smart windows

In this report,W^(6+)doping as a defect engineering strategy has been proposed to improve the electrochromic properties of NiO film.Further research was conducted to explore the electrochromic properties and the modified mechanism of W-doped NiO film.Compared to the pure NiO,W-doped NiO film exhibits improved electrochromic properties with significant optical modulation(61.56%at 550 nm),fast switching speed(4.42 s/1.40 s for coloring/bleaching),high coloration efficiency(45.41 cm^(2)·C-1)and outstanding cycling stability(no significant attenuation after 2000 cycles)in Li-based electrolytes.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations combined with the experimental results indicate that the improved electrochromic properties were due to enhanced the electronic conductivity and ion conductivity after the introduction of W^(6+).The charge capacity of W-doped NiO has also been improved,and it can function with WO_(3) to achieve a high performance black electrochromic smart window(ECSW)by balancing charge.This work could advance the fundamental understanding of defect engineering as an effective strategy to boost the electrochromic properties of NiO anodic material,manifesting a significant development as a candidate counter electrode in high-performance black smart windows.