A general strategy to achieve see-through devices through the micro-structuring of colored functional materials
Irrespective of the specific see-through device, obtaining optimal transparency remains the primary goal. In this work, we introduce a general strategy to enhance the transparency of various see-through devices. We achieve this by structuring the colored functional materials into imperceptible three-dimensional mesh lines, addressing a common challenge in multi-layer structures where each layer causes a reduction in transparency due to their color or opacity. To overcome this limitation, we selectively integrate functional materials into micron-wide groove structures transforming functional layers to functional meshes. Regardless of the initial color of the functional material, the resulting functional mesh can exhibit a high transmittance of 88% (vs. air) under any operating state while maintaining its intended function within the device. We apply this strategy to fabricate proof-of-concept of devices such as electrochromic devices, supercapacitors, and zinc batteries, all of which exhibit remarkable overall transparency when compared to the multi-layer device.
Authors
- Yuan‐Qiu‐Qiang Yi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3522-7056)
- Chenchao Huang
- Wenming Su (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1721-1923)
- Xueqing Tang
- Pengyu Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3802-4692)
- Zhongsheng Ma
- Xinju Mu
- Xinzhou Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3472-2485)
- Christine K. Luscombe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7456-1343)
- Wenya Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9306-2739)
- Xiaolian Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6423-8996)
- Zishou Hu
- Shuhong Nie
Institutions
- University of Science and Technology of China (CN)
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (JP)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2024-12-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55133-w
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Transition Metal Oxide Nanomaterials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.18
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Government of Jiangsu Province
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
- Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province
- Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- National Key Research and Development Program of China