ELECTROCHROMIC BEHAVIOR OF AMORPHOUS NICKELPHTHALOCYANINE THIN FILMS

Amorphous nickelphthalocyanine(NiPc) thin films were prepared by vacuum evaporation and their electrochromic behavior and voltammograms were examined in the five kinds of aqueous electrolytes. Amorphous NiPc films were prepared on indium-tin-oxide(ITO) glass substrates cooled to-$120^{\circ}C$ by using liquid nitrogen under a vacuum of $2.4 \times 10^{-4}$. The voltammetric and electrochromic measurements were made using a potential galvanostat. In order to confirm the color change, optical vis-transmission spectra of the NiPc films were measured by a spectrophotometer with various electrode potential applied. The NiPc amorphous thin films exhibited most clearly electrochromism in $KNO_3$ aqueous electrolyte. The specimen films underwent 3 color transitions (from blue to yellow-green, then to red violet, then to dark blue), corresponding to the three peaks on the voltammograms in $KNO_3$ aqueous electrolyte. Blue is color of the as-prepared film. When the potential was swept, charge compensation was attained upon oxidation by injection of anions from the electrolyte and upon reduction by expulsion of anions.