Effect of reaction parameters on WOx nanostructures by the solvothermal process

Abstract

In this work, nanowires and nanorods of WOx have been synthesized by the solvothermal method. The effect of reaction time and acetic acid as solvent were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed the monoclinic WO2.72, WO2.79, and orthorhombic WO3 crystalline structures. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and High-Resolution Transmission Electronic Microscopy (HRTEM) images presented nanostructures such as nanowires and nanorods at different sizes. Band gap energies were supplied by Ultra Violet visible (UV-vis) absorption spectra. The Photoluminescence (PL) spectra exhibited three emission peaks in the blue zone at 440, 460, and 484 nm. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was used to calculate W6+, W5+, and W4+ oxidation states. The results showed that increasing the reaction time from 10 h to 24 h affected the crystalline structure from monoclinic to orthorhombic. Moreover, with the addition of acetic acid as solvent, the crystal structure is not affected but stabilizes the monoclinic phase in the course of time.