ElsevierFernández Domene, RM.; Sánchez Tovar, R.; Lucas-Granados, B.; Roselló-Márquez, G.; Garcia-Anton, J. (2017). A simple method to fabricate high-performance nanostructured WO3 photocatalysts with adjusted morphology in the presence of complexing agents. (J. .The rich and complex chemistry of tungsten was employed to synthesize innovative WO3 nanoplatelets/nanosheets by simple anodization in acidic electrolytes containing different concentrations of complexing agents or ligands, namely Fand H2O2. The morphological and photoelectrochemical properties of these nanostructures were characterized. The best of these nanostructures generated stable photocurrent densities of ca. 1.8 mA cm -2 at relatively low bias potentials (for WO3) of 0.7 VAg/AgCl under simulated solar irradiation, which can be attributed to a very high active surface area.This work demonstrates that the morphology and dimensions of these nanostructures, as well as their photoelectrochemical behavior, can be controlled by adjusting the ligand concentration in the electrolytes, hence providing an easy and non-expensive route to fabricate and customize high-performance nanostructured photocatalysts for clean energy production and environmental applications.

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A visible-light driven photoelectrochemical degradation process has been applied to a solution polluted with the organophosphate insecticide chlorfenvinphos. Different WO3 nanosheets/nanorods have been used as photoanodes. These nanostructured electrodes have been fabricated by anodization of tungsten and, subsequently, they have been subjected to a thermal treatment (annealing). The combined influence of annealing temperature (400º C and 600º C) and operation pH (1 and 3) on the photoelectrocatalytic behavior of these nanorods has been examined through a statistical analysis. Morphological, structural and photoelectrochemical characterizations have also been carried out. The chlorfenvinphos degradation efficiency depended both on annealing temperature and, specially, operation pH. At pH 1 and using an annealing temperature of 600º C, chlorfenvinphos has been effectively degraded following pseudo-first order kinetics with a coefficient of 7.8×10 -3 min -1 , and notably mineralized (more than 65% of Total Organic Carbon decrease).

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