Patent ID: 6556470
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: C09K,G02B,G02F,Y10S

Abstract:
A colorant for a substrate, the colorant comprising:a molecular system, said system including electrochromic, switchable molecules, each of said molecules being selectively switchable between at least two optically distinguishable states, wherein each of said molecules exhibit local electric field induced band gap changes via a molecular conformation change or an isomerization, wherein each of said molecules include at least one stator portion and at least one rotor portion, wherein said rotor rotates from a first state to a second state with an applied electric field, wherein in said first state, there is extended conjugation throughout said molecular system, resulting in a relatively smaller band gap, and wherein in said second state, said extended conjugation is destroyed, resulting in a relatively larger band gap, and wherein said system is distributable on the substrate thereby forming an erasably writable surface.