Preparation of aligned W 18 O 49 nanowire clusters with high photocatalytic activity

Abstract The aligned W18O49 nanowire clusters were synthesized via a facile and economic ethanol-assisted hydrothermal method using peroxopolytungstic acid as precursor. Results show that the as-prepared W18O49 exhibits a high yield and ultrathin structure with preferential growth direction along [0 1 0]. The amount of peroxopolytungstic acid and reaction time play significant role on the morphology of W18O49 nanowires. The nanowires have unique structure, high degree of crystallinity, large specific surface area, and large number of defects such as oxygen vacancies, which are responsible for their high photocatalytic performance for degradation of methylene blue. The photocatalytic conversion of methylene blue can reach above 98% after degradation. W18O49 also exhibits good photodegradation stability after five cycles of reuse. The results demonstrate that the as-prepared W18O49 nanowire clusters are expected to be a promising material for applications in the field of environment.