Rational regulation of tungsten oxides with specific exposed facets for the investigation of morphology-dependent hydrogen gasochromic performance

In this paper, WO3 with specific exposed facets was prepared through hydrothermal method, then Pt nanoparticles were decorated on the surface of WO3 to enhance the H2 dissociation ability, and the obtained Pt/WO3 materials could realize the visualized H2 detection by the rapid color change of powder. In specific, the high exposure of oxygen ion at c-axis and the shortened diameter of (001) crystal facets is helpful for achieving fast coloring-blenching process. As a result, WO3 nanowires could exhibit a reflectance change of 86.2%, rapid coloring time (64 s) and recovery rate compared with nanorods and microspheres. Moreover, the detailed influencing mechanism of morphology on diffusion and injection of H and O atoms during gasochromism was revealed. This study could contribute to deepen the understanding of morphology-dependent hydrogen gasochromic performance from microscopic view.