Electrochromic technology enables charge/discharge and coloration/bleaching processes under an electric field to tune the transmittance of light at different wavelengths, and has found applications in smart windows, displays, camouflage and other fields. Benefiting from the high extinction coefficient of metals, electrochromic glass devices based on the reversible metal‑deposition/dissolution mechanism exhibit prominent advantages in optical modulation range and spectral regulation capability compared with conventional ion‑insertion/extraction mechanisms. For smart‑window applications, reversible metal‑deposition electrochromic devices possess merits including strong photothermal modulation capability, neutral coloration and simplified device architecture. Nevertheless, their photothermal modulation performances (e.g., optical modulation range, response time, coloration efficiency, long‑term stability) are still restricted by mass‑charge transport at the transparent conductive electrode/electrolyte interface. The modulation strategies for metal anodes in batteries provide theoretical guidance for performance optimization of reversible metal‑deposition electrochromic smart windows. By regulating the phase structure of electrode materials and the solvation structure of electrolytes, the coloration efficiency of such electrochromic devices can be effectively improved, which facilitates the construction of electrochromic smart windows with large‑area compatibility, fast response, long memory effect and superior photothermal modulation capability.
 

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