Tungsten Oxides for Photocatalysis, Electrochemistry, and Phototherapy

Abstract

The conversion, storage, and utilization of renewable energy have all become more important than ever before as a response to ever-growing energy and environment concerns. The performance of energy-related technologies strongly relies on the structure and property of the material used. The earth-abundant family of tungsten oxides (WOx ≤3 ) receives considerable attention in photocatalysis, electrochemistry, and phototherapy due to their highly tunable structures and unique physicochemical properties. Great breakthroughs have been made in enhancing the optical absorption, charge separation, redox capability, and electrical conductivity of WOx ≤3 through control of the composition, crystal structure, morphology, and construction of composite structures with other materials, which significantly promotes the efficiency of processes and devices based on this material. Herein, the properties and synthesis of WOx ≤3 family are reviewed, and then their energy-related applications are highlighted, including solar-light-driven water splitting, CO2 reduction, and pollutant removal, electrochromism, supercapacitors, lithium batteries, solar and fuel cells, non-volatile memory devices, gas sensors, and cancer therapy, from the aspect of function-oriented structure design and control.

Design of Efficient Bifunctional Oxygen Reduction/Evolution Electrocatalyst: Recent Advances and Perspectives

“…Moreover, surface OVs can enhance the electron transfer from O-vacancies to metal d band to further effectively tune the adsorption of surface species for catalysis. [40][41][42] For example, Chen et al investigated the influence of OVs on the oxygen electrocatalysis of rutile-type β-MnO 2 by introducing intrinsic OVs without modification by foreign additives. [42] They found that OVs-containing oxide demonstrates a more positive potential, larger current and lower peroxide production for ORR catalysis, and also promotes OER catalysis.…”

Unraveling the Intercalation Chemistry of Hexagonal Tungsten Bronze and Its Optical Responses

“…1−4 However, precedent research conducted on the tungsten trioxide systems is mainly focused on the most stable phase at room temperature, namely, the monoclinic phase (γ-WO 3 ), and its doped systems. 5,6 The metastable hexagonal tungsten trioxide (h-WO 3 ), though chemically similar to the monoclinic phase, has a rather unique crystal structure with empty hexagonal and trigonal nanochannels in a framework of vertex-shared WO 6 octahedrons. 7,8 This phase has been found to be stabilized under specific synthesis conditions, e.g., by controlling the ligands or intercalating different kinds of alkali-metal ions, 9 and this stabilization effect has also been investigated theoretically.…”

Atomic Layer Deposition of Bismuth Vanadates for Solar Energy Materials

“…These capabilities have enabled significant progress for Fe 2 O 3 , [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] Cu 2 O, [27][28][29][30] and other photoelectrodes. [6,31,32] There is a significant design advantage to using composite host-guest nanostructures for light-harvesting materials with low carrier mobilities. In this design, a "host" scaffold transports majority carriers to the substrate and the "guest" absorber transports minority carriers to the water/catalyst interface.…”