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Herein, we first propose a method to enhance the cyclic properties of nickel-oxide-based electrochromic (EC) film established on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. In this work, a zinc tin oxide (ZTO) layer with a thickness of 18 nm was sputtered on the surface of 120 nm thickness Si–Li codoped nickel oxide film, and then XPS, XRD, SEM, electrochemical analysis, and a mechanical bending test were used to explore the composition, structure, electrochemical properties, and bending durability. The results show that the introduction of a ZTO buffer layer can effectively get rid of the collapsed phenomenon and grain coarsening of the nanocolumn microstructure during EC processing, improving the attenuation of color transmittance (T c) and optical modulation (ΔT). After 600 electrochemical cycles, the T c of the film at the wavelength of 550 nm decreased from 54.3% to 50.0%, and the ΔT increased from 28.6% to 35.5%, which is superior to the one without the ZTO buffer layer after 600 electrochemical cycles (61.9% T c and 22.8% ΔT). In addition, the ZTO buffer layer can also ensure the film has an enlarged charge capacity, rapid transport speed of lithium ion for faster EC response, and admirable bendability. This stability makes the double-layer structure promising for commercial applications in future high-performance EC devices.

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