Electrochromic Fabric Device Based on Lamellar Polyaniline through Inkjet Printing

Flexible electrochromic devices (FECD) have been widely applied in smart displays, wearable devices, and other fields, however, the synchronous improvement of electrochromic performance and flexibility is still a challenge. In this paper, a fabric-based FECD with “side-by-side” structure is designed and constructed through inkjet printing. The polyaniline nanosheets with good dispersion are used as ink and electrochromic material, and the self-developed semi-solid electrolyte based on polyvinyl alcohol serves as gel electrolyte. Benefiting from the improved structure and excellent performance of individual components, the obtained FECD achieves a reflectivity change of 22.9%, and maintains the electrochromic ability after bending for 1000 times. This shows the potential in the field of wearable smart clothing and other flexible textile displays.