4-(Trifluoromethoxy)phenyl-Containing Polymers as Promising Anodic Materials for Electrochromic Devices

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Authors

I send my recommendation on the manuscript “4-(Trifluoromethoxy)phenyl-containing polymers as promising anodic materials for electrochromic devices” which submitted by Wen-Hsin Wang, Jui-Cheng Chang, Pei-Ying Lee, Tzi-Yi Wu.

1. This manuscript presents an interesting contribution to the investigations of polymers and electrochemistry, in my opinion, can be published in Coatings.

Sincerely,

Author Response

The attached files are the response to reviewers' comments.

If you have any question, do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

In this work, the authors present their experimental results on the electrochromical properties of three categories of synthesized organic polymers [namely, PTTPP, P(TTPP-co-DTC), and P(TTPP-co-DTP)] and the fabrication of electrocromic devices based on them.

I found the manuscript's content rather interesting. The examination of the subject by the authors is thorough, the objectives are clear, and the main conclusions of the work are supported by the presented results. However, the manuscript in its present form is rather difficult to read, thus preventing me from recommending it for publication as is. I think that the following comments and suggestions, if taken into account and incorporated by the authors, will contribute to an overall increase of the manuscript's presentation quality, thus making it publishable in Coatings:

1. The authors should consider compiling a list of abbreviations. Notwithstanding that they are inevitably many, some of them are either defined after their first in-text occurrence (e.g., HOMO, LUMO) or not defined at all (e.g. ECD, which, I presume, stands for electrochromic device).
2. The Abstract should be modified to highlight the most significant aspects of the results somewhat more. Furthermore, undefined notations should be avoided (use, e.g., the term "optical contrast" instead of ΔΤ).
3. The points made at the end of the first paragraph of the Introduction need to be supported by relevant citations.
4. An outline of the rest of the paper's content would be useful to be placed at the end of the Introduction.
5. Generally, a moderate language revision is needed, regarding some syntax errors, some mistaken use of past tenses and the use of commas instead of full stops in several cases.
6. Please consider moving Figure 3 before Figure 2, so that the reader has obtained a visual interpretation of the studied structures before moving on to the main results.
7. The figures and tables should be presented in the order they appear the main text. Furthermore, they should be put as close as possible to the text referring to them, in order for the results to be more perceptible for the reader.
8. Using two notations (CE, η) for the coloration efficiency is confusing. One of them should be chosen.
9. I do not understand the meaning of the sentence "Open circuit memory responses the energy consumption of ECDs [33,34]." in Subsection 3.4. Please revise accordingly.
10. The concluding section should be expanded. For example, there is no mention at all on the cycling stability and open circuit memory of the electrochromic devices the authors fabricated. Furthermore, some more suggestions regarding possible future research on the subject would be very useful.

Finally, I have several more comments regarding the Figures and Tables:

1. The size of the axis and tick labels in Figs. 2, 4-5, 7-8, 10-12 should be increased; they are barely readable in 100% zoom.
2. The entries of the "Photoimages" columns in Tables 1 and 4 should have the same size.
3.  In Fig. 2, a coloring scheme or 3d perspective could be adopted for the effect of increasing cycles to be more clearly visible.
4. In Fig. 4, consider placing the CV image for each case next to the corresponding i vs scan rate image, i.e., (a) next to (d), (b) next to (e), and (c) next to (f).
5. Regarding Fig. 4 again, in panel (f) there are points corresponding to the peak current densities at 250 mV/s, but the respective curves are missing from panel (c).
6. In Figs. 6 and 9, the resolution of the labels seems to be quite low.
7. Finally, and optionally, the two graphs at each row of Fig 7 could be merged into one, with lines of different color and legends corresponding to each wavelength.

Author Response

The attached files are the response to reviewers' comments.

If you have any question, do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors reported an electrosynthesis and its electrochromic behaviors of three 4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl-containing polydithienylpyrroles, (PTTPP, P(TTPP-co-DTC), and P(TTPP-co-DTP).

1. The incorporation of electron-withdrawing trifluoromethoxy group (CF₃O-) in the side chain of polydithienylpyrroles (PSNS) can be advantageous because of its role in decreasing the LUMO and HOMO energy levels of PSNS. Colorless-to-colorful switching studies of anodic films show that P(TTPP-co-DTP) film has high △T_max (53.8 % at 1302 nm) and PTTPP film has high coloration efficiency (η = 379.64 cm2/C at 1050 nm) in a liquid solution.

2. These studies clearly indicating that PTTPP, P(TTPP-co-DTC), and P(TTPP-co-DTP) films are promising candidates for potential applications in electrochromic devices (ECDs).

Overall, it is a good study and therefore recommended for publication in Coatings in its current form.

Author Response

The attached files are the response to reviewers' comments.

If you have any question, do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

Good articles 

some recommandations: 

1. Precise the signification of ITO

2. Figure 2 : is it possible to use color in order to show clearly the first and the last stages.

3. The authors need reorganise the position of the figures and the tables in the text.

Author Response

The attached files are the response to reviewers' comments.

If you have any question, do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf