Synthesis and electrochemical studies of WO₃‐based nanomaterials for environmental, energy and gas sensing applications

Abstract

The increase of pollutants in the environment and the rapid decrease of nonrenewable energy resources are putting immense pressure on ecosystems. Semiconductor oxides possess some unique properties that may provide a foundation for the development of advanced functional materials to address the pressing environmental and energy issues. Among various metal oxides, WO 3 based nanomaterials with an array of morphologies and sizes can be employed in a wide range of applications, including photocatalysis, water splitting, environmental protection, solar energy, and electrochromic devices. In this review article, following a brief introduction of WO 3 and WO 3 based nanostructured materials, various synthesis methods used for their fabrication are described and compared. Further, their electrochemical, photoelectrochemical properties, and promising energy and environmental applications are addressed and highlighted.

WO3‐based Materials for Photocatalytic and Photoelectrocatalytic Selective Oxidation Reactions

“…As shown in Figure 3a, the exposed facet of WO 3 is significantly affected by the capping effect of Cl − ions, in which the exposed [002] facets will be promoted by increasing the amount of Cl − ions. Besides, metal doping was proposed to fabricate facet‐orientated WO 3 photoanode for PEC reactions [28] . Zheng et al.…”

“…Besides, metal doping was proposed to fabricate facet-orientated WO 3 photoanode for PEC reactions. [28] Zheng et al reported that introducing Bi 3 + ions into WO 3 film on FTO glass leads to a highly ordered [002]-oriented structure by spin coating a Bi-containing peroxotungstic acid as precursor followed by calcination. [26c] Kalanur et al incorporated Al atoms into WO 3 thin films with the [002] facets by hydrothermal method, in which the facet orientation was systematically tuned by controlling the at % of Al.…”

Nitrogen-Doped WO3 Nanoparticles as Electrode Materials in All-in-One Supercapacitor Devices

“…Among these TM oxides, tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ) has shown excellent potential to be used as an electrode material in SCs . The tunnel-like structure of WO 3 makes an easy ion insertion into the electrolyte.…”

“…Among these TM oxides, tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ) has shown excellent potential to be used as an electrode material in SCs. 14 The tunnel-like structure of WO 3 makes an easy ion insertion into the electrolyte. Its advantages include high thermal stability, corrosion resistance, multiple valency, wide negative potential range, and natural abundance.…”

Complementary electrochromic device via a scalable solution process: a step towards affordable and energy-efficient smart windows

“…15,16 Common deposition processes for these layers involve techniques such as chemical vapor deposition, e-beam evaporation, and sputtering, while electrodeposition, solvothermal, and sol–gel methods are popular choices among solution-based processes. 17–21 Solution processes offer significant advantages over the others due to allowing the use of low-cost equipment and enabling bulk production in a shorter time frame. Moreover, they facilitate the production of desired nanostructures with large surface areas, thereby promoting high electrochemical performance.…”