Synthesis of Shape-Tailored WO(3) Micro-/Nanocrystals and the Photocatalytic Activity of WO(3)/TiO(2) Composites

A traditional semiconductor (WO(3)) was synthesized from different precursors via hydrothermal crystallization targeting the achievement of three different crystal shapes (nanoplates, nanorods and nanostars). The obtained WO(3) microcrystals were analyzed by the means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). These methods contributed to the detailed analysis of the crystal morphology and structural features. The synthesized bare WO(3) photocatalysts were totally inactive, while the P25/WO(3) composites were efficient under UV light radiation. Furthermore, the maximum achieved activity was even higher than the bare P25’s photocatalytic performance. A correlation was established between the shape of the WO(3) crystallites and the observed photocatalytic activity registered during the degradation of different substrates by using P25/WO(3) composites.