Preparation and Electrochromic Properties of MnO/PPy Composite Films with Coral-like Structures.

MnO/polypyrrole (PPy) composite films were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glasses by a two-step wet-chemical method, including electrochemical deposition and chemical bath deposition (CBD). The porous MnO films were first grown on FTO glasses by an electrodeposition method. Second, polypyrrole nanoparticles were polymerized by the oxidation-reduction reaction between MnO and pyrrole, using the presynthesized MnO as the skeleton. Then, MnO/PPy composite films with coral-like structures were obtained. The electrochemical and electrochromic (EC) properties of the prepared films were investigated. The results show that, compared to the single MnO or PPy film, the MnO/PPy composite film has a larger optical modulation (67.3% at a wavelength of 900 nm), faster response times (4 s for coloration and 3 s for bleaching), and a higher coloration efficiency (218.16 cm·C). The high coloration efficiency attests to the exceptional performance of the composite film in converting electrical signals into vivid color changes. The electrochemical stability test results show that the composite film maintains a stable EC performance after 200 coloration/bleaching cycles. The coral-like structures of the composite film are responsible for the better EC properties.