We report the use of four-layer graphene (4LG) as a highly reliable transparent conductive electrode (TCE) for polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)-based smart window devices. The adhesion between 4LG and the substrate was successfully improved through a water-induced interface-cleaning (WIIC) process. We compared the performance of a device with a WIIC-processed 4LG electrode with that of devices with a conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and a 4LG electrode without a WIIC. With the application of the WIIC process, the PDLC smart window with a 4LG electrode exhibited reduced turn-on voltage and haze compared to 4LG without the WIIC process and characteristics comparable to those of the ITO electrode. The WIIC-processed 4LG electrode demonstrated enhanced electrical properties and better optical performance, leading to improved device efficiency and reliability. Furthermore, our study revealed that the WIIC process not only improved the adhesion between 4LG and the substrate but also enhanced the compatibility and interfacial interactions, resulting in the superior performance of the smart window device. These findings suggest that 4LG with WIIC holds great promise as a transparent conductive electrode for flexible smart windows, offering a cost-effective and efficient alternative to conventional ITO electrodes.

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Objectives: This study analyzed Japanese consumers on their sauce consumption, and assessed the relationship between consumer innovativeness and consumption behavior for new sauce products. Methods: The survey was completed by local consumers visiting Korean restaurants in Osaka, Japan, in September 2018. The demographic characteristics, consumption of sauce, consumer innovativeness, and factors of theory of planned behavior were evaluated. Totally, 150 collected data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 Program (IBM SPSS INC, Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Results of the survey indicate that Japanese consumers purchase a sauce by considering the taste and food utilization. Sauce purchases were maximum at mega markets and supermarkets. The consumer innovativeness for Japanese consumers was based on 3 factors: 'Purchasing adventurous products (3.51 ± 0.96)', 'Active information seeking (4.36 ± 1.11)', and 'Interactive information seeking (4.33 ± 1.02)', where the tendency of 'Active information seeking' was the highest innovativeness factor. Furthermore, higher values of perceived behavior control (4.68 ± 1.21), attitude (4.66 ± 1.41) and subjective norm (4.39 ± 1.28) were revealed, when assessing for theory of planned behavior factors. Correlating the variables of consumer innovation and factors of planning behavior theory, 'Active information seeking' is a positive attribute for attitude (p<0.016), subjective norm (p<0.001), and perceived behavior control (p<0.002). These 3 factors also had significantly positive effects on purchase intention for new sauce product (p<0.000, p<0.000, and p<0.002, respectively). Attitude was determined to be another very influential variable for purchase intention of a new sauce product (B=0.484, t=6.881). Conclusions: The results of this study determine the consumption patterns of sauce for the Japanese consumer, and the relationship between consumer innovativeness and consumption behavior for Korean traditional sauces. We believe the data generated from this study will help determine a marketing strategy to enter the Japanese market.