Nano-sized WO3 Structures via Novel Chemical Approach: Temperature Influence

Abstract

Tungsten trioxide (WO3) has attracted considerable attention due to its promising and remarkable properties. In this study, tungsten carbide (WC) was used as starting material for WO3 nanostructures preparation. The obtained samples were annealed at different temperatures and were characterized by different techniques to confirm the transformation of WC to WO3 and to investigate the temperature effect on these nanostructures. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed that the prepared WO3 nanostructures crystallized into a monoclinic phase after annealing at 500 and 600°C for 5 h in air atmosphere. The Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images highlighted the temperature effect on the nanostructures morphologies. After annealing at 500°C the nanostructures have a rods-like shape with uniform distribution. However, under 600°C SEM image indicates the exceptional porous morphology, which consisted of hollow sphere-like shape. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the structural composition and the purity of the formed WO3. The experimental results proved that our simple approach offers a promising route to prepare WO3 nanostructures as high-performance materials for advanced applications.