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Synthesis of tungsten oxide nanoparticles using a hydrothermal method at ambient pressure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2014

Majid Ahmadi ,
Reza Younesi  and
Maxime J-F. Guinel
Majid Ahmadi
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, College of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8377, USA
Reza Younesi
Affiliation:
Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
Maxime J-F. Guinel*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, College of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8377, USA; and Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8377, USA
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: maxime.guinel@upr.edu
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Abstract

Tungsten oxide (WO3) nanostructures receive sustained interest for a wide variety of applications, and especially for its usage as a photocatalyst. It is therefore important to find suitable methods allowing for its easy and inexpensive large scale production. Tungstite (WO3·H2O) nanoparticles were synthesized using a simple and inexpensive low temperature and low pressure hydrothermal (HT) method. The precursor solution used for the HT process was prepared by adding hydrochloric acid to diluted sodium tungstate solutions (Na2WO4·2H2O) at temperatures below 5 °C and then dissolved using oxalic acid. This HT process yielded tungstite (WO3·H2O) nanoparticles with the orthorhombic structure. A heat treatment at temperatures at or above 300 °C resulted in a phase transformation to monoclinic WO3, while preserving the nanoparticles morphology. The production of WO3 nanoparticles using this method is therefore a three step process: protonation of tungstate ions, crystallization of tungstite, and phase transformation to WO3. Furthermore, this process can be tailored. For example, we show that WO3 can be doped with cesium and that nanorods can also be obtained. The products were characterized using powder x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (including electron energy-loss spectroscopy and electron diffraction), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Keywords

tungstitetungsten oxidenanoparticlesXRDXPSelectron microscopyelectron energy-loss spectroscopy
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 29 , Issue 13 , 14 July 2014 , pp. 1424 - 1430
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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