Executive Summary : | The demand for power-efficient electrochemical energy storage devices with high power and energy densities has increased significantly in modern times, particularly in portable or wearable electronics. The supercapattery is the most prevalent solution that can achieve high power density and energy density. Electrochromic materials (ECMs) are also widely used in various commercial display applications. Metallo-supramolecular polymers (MSPs) are the newest class of ECMs and exhibit fast switching times, high optical contrast, and high coloration efficiency in solid-state electrochromic devices (ECDs). To meet the demand for faster switching with high coloration and optical memory-based power efficiency in ECMs for commercial application, a judicious choice of material structures is required. This can include high active surface area, stable metal-based redox, inherent pores for better ion diffusion, etc. Flexible/rigid or cuttable display devices coupled with thin-film supercapattery-based energy storage properties are important in miniaturized portable or wearable energy storage devices of the next-generation smart windows, power-efficient electronics, and hybrid intelligent energy devices. The aim of this project is to synthesize novel MSPs with excellent metal-based redox properties, easy processability, and environmental and thermal stabilities. Different dimensional MSPs like 1D MSP nanofibers, 2D MSP nanosheets, or 3D bulk polymers, with controllable surface area and morphology, would be synthesized, and the electrochemical properties would be engineered. The ionic pyridinium or triazine moieties would be incorporated into MSPs to impart the dielectric property and n-type semiconducting property for charge trapping and energy storage property as well as to enhance the redox conductivity between two metal centers to improve the EC properties. Fe(II) based metal ions would be used in MSPs as they are cheaper and have robust and durable Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox cycle stability. Composite nanostructures of MSPs with high-surface area nanofillers like clay, graphene oxides, MoS₂, etc., would also be prepared for the same. The exclusive EC and supercapattery properties of solid-state thin film-based devices will be evaluated. Thus, the present project can provide the concept of thin film-based high-performance supercapattery devices with smart EC indicators in intelligent dual-performance devices. The potential applications of such dual-performance devices are vast, including use in building architectures to block sunlight and make it energy-efficient while also storing the charge for further use to mitigate the energy crisis. The EC color change can also show the status of the storage energy to alarm the user regarding the charging necessity. Therefore, the successful development of such dual-performance devices can have a significant impact on the development of future energy-efficient and hybrid intelligent energy storage technology. |