Single crystalline orthorhombic phase tungsten trioxide monohydrate (O-WO 3 •H 2 O, space group: Pmnb) nanoplates with a clear morphology and uniform size distribution have been synthesized by the hydrothermal method and fabricated on the surface of fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates with selective exposure of the crystal facet by the finger rubbing method. The rubbing method can easily arrange the O-WO 3 •H 2 O nanoplates along the (020) facet on the FTO substrate. The O-WO 3 •H 2 O nanoplate can be converted to monoclinic phase WO 3 (γ-WO 3 , space group: P21/n) with dominant crystal facet of (002) without destroying the plate structure. Crystal morphologies, structures, and components of the powders and films have been determined by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, etc. The band gap energies of the O-WO 3 •H 2 O and γ-WO 3 nanoplates were determined as ca. 2.26 and 2.49 eV, respectively. Photoelectrochemical properties of the films with (002) dominant crystal facet have also been checked for discussion of further application in water oxidation. The advantage of (002) facet dominant film was investigated by comparing to one spin-coated γ-WO 3 thin film with the same thickness via photoelectrochemical characterizations such as photocurrent, incident photon to current efficiency, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
(001)-oriented monoclinic nanorod and microplate WO3 films are fabricated on commercial FTO-coated glass substrates by a rubbing seed layer and a spin-coating seed layer assisted by hydrothermal reactions. The nanorod film obtained by the rubbing seed layer assisted by hydrothermal reactions is more regular and perpendicular to the substrate.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.