Scientists have developed a transparent glass display with a high white light contrast ratio that smoothly transitions between a broad spectrum of colors when electrically charged. The technology, from researchers at Jilin University in Changchun, China, overcomes limitations of existing electrochromic devices by harnessing interactions between metal ions and ligands, opening the door for numerous future applications. The work appears March 10 in the journal Chem.

According to Yu-Mo Zhang, an associate professor of chemistry at Jilin University, the method behind this see-through, non-emissive display may accelerate the development of transparent, eye-friendly displays with improved readability for bright working conditions. As an inevitable display technology in the near future, non-emissive see-through displays will be irreplaceable as a part of the IoT, in which physical objects are interconnected through software.