Ion trapping in electrodes upon long-term cycling is found to be one of the main reasons for performance degradation in electrochromic devices. Galvanostatic and potentiostatic post-treatments can rejuvenate degraded electrochromic layers. However, these procedures require high oxidation potentials, which are neither safe for the electrode-electrolyte system nor compatible with the operation of a full device. In the present paper, we report that degraded electrochromic oxides can be rejuvenated by a photo-electrochemical synergistically induced ion detrapping procedure. The UV light-induced photocurrent assists ion detrapping and limits the applied potential to the safe range used for electrochromic switching. This approach has been demonstrated to be effective for several cathodic electrochromic oxides and can be directly implemented in a full device. Our findings provide new vistas for efforts to expand the lifespan of electrochromic devices and other ion intercalation-based devices.

中文翻译：

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光电化学协同诱导离子捕集用于电致变色器件年轻化


长期循环时电极中的离子捕获是电致变色器件性能下降的主要原因之一。恒电流和恒电位后处理可以使降解的电致变色层恢复活力。然而，这些程序需要高氧化电位，这对电极电解质系统既不安全，也与完整设备的操作不兼容。在本文中，我们报道了降解的电致变色氧化物可以通过光电化学协同诱导离子捕集程序恢复活力。紫外光诱导的光电流有助于离子去捕获，并将施加的电位限制在用于电致变色开关的安全范围内。这种方法已被证明对几种阴极电致变色氧化物有效，并且可以直接在完整的器件中实现。我们的研究结果为延长电致变色器件和其他基于离子插层的器件的使用寿命提供了新的前景。