Multifunctional glass windows that combine energy storage and electrochromism have been obtained by facile thermal evaporation and electrodeposition methods. For example, WO3 films that had been deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass exhibited a high specific capacitance of 639.8 F g(-1). Their color changed from transparent to deep blue with an abrupt decrease in optical transmittance from 91.3% to 15.1% at a wavelength of 633 nm when a voltage of -0.6 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) was applied, demonstrating its excellent energy-storage and electrochromism properties. As a second example, a polyaniline-based pseudocapacitive glass was also developed, and its color can change from green to blue. A large-scale pseudocapacitive WO3-based glass window (15×15 cm(2)) was fabricated as a prototype. Such smart pseudocapacitive glass windows show great potential in functioning as electrochromic windows and concurrently powering electronic devices, such as mobile phones or laptops.

Tungsten oxide has been recently demonstrated interesting and promising bifunctionalities that combine electrochromism and pseudocapacitance. However, understanding about the charge storage process of pseudocapacitive tungsten oxide film is very limited. Our quantitative investigation clearly reveals that the capacity performance of tungsten oxide film is thickness-dependent. In particular, the 100 nm-thick tungsten oxide film exhibits highest charge capacity density at high rates, with nearly 242.1 C g −1 stored reversibly in 6 s. The 100 nmthick tungsten oxide film stores charges mainly by capacitive effects (including both electric double layer capacitance and pseudocapacitance). For example, at a scan rate of 5 mV s −1 , more than 78% stored charges is attributed to capacitive effects, according to the cyclic voltammetry analysis. Furthermore, pseudocapacitance is responsible for around 70% of the capacitive charge storage based on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis. The contributions of diffusion-controlled process, electric double layer capacitive process, and pseudocapacitive process have been discussed in detailed and successfully identified. Overall, this work provides insight into the charge storage process of tungsten oxide, and our new findings can shed light on other transition metal oxide-based electrochemical energy storage systems.

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We investigate the removal of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution by montmorillonite-pillared graphene oxide (MGO). Experimental conditions were used that evaluate the potential of MGO in removing anionic and cationic dyes in single and binary systems, and we investigated the uptake capacity of MGO toward organic dye as a function of different pH, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and adsorption time. In the single system, the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were used to describe the equilibrium isotherm and calculate the isotherm constants. Moreover, the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were applied to study the mechanism of MGO adsorbing dyes. Thermodynamic studies demonstrated that the adsorption of MO and MB onto MGO was feasible and spontaneous. In the binary system, the adsorption capacities of MO and MB by MGO were dramatically higher than those in a single system. Therefore, through the recorded adsorption results under different conditions, we could illustrate that the MGO was absolutely used as an adsorbent to be capable of simultaneous removals of MO and MB.

A novel cross-linked quaternized composite anion-exchange membrane based on poly(epichlorohydrin) (PECH) was prepared by a facile route. First, PECH was cross-linked with 2-methylimidazole and combined with a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) membrane to form cross-linked PECH/PTFE (CPECH/PTFE). Then, CPECH/PTFE was quaternized by 1-methylimidazole to obtain cross-linked quaternized PECH/PTFE (CQPECH/PTFE). (1)H NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic data indicated that CQPECH was successfully synthesized, and the CQPECH/PTFE membrane had a dense and homogeneous structure demonstrated by the field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the use of 2-methylimidazole as the cross-link agent could avoid the solubility of the composite membrane in water and dimethyl sulfoxide. With an increase of 2-methylimidazole, the solubility of the PECH ionomer was decreased. M-3, one of the CQPECH/PTFE membranes, showed good thermal properties (stable below 250 °C under an N2 atmosphere), excellent mechanical strength (a tensile strength of 67.3 MPa), moderate water uptake of 45.3%, and very low swelling degree of 9.01% at 30 °C. Besides, M-3 showed a hydroxide conductivity of up to 27 mS/cm and good long-term stability in a 1 M KOH solution at 60 °C for 15 days. In addition, a single H2/O2 fuel-cell test using M-3 at 50 °C indicated a peak power density of 23 mW/cm(2). These results suggested that the CQPECH/PTFE membrane had a good perspective for application in an alkaline fuel cell.