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Published on: April 15, 2013
Bundled tungsten oxide nanowires under thermal processing
Shibin Sun1, Yimin Zhao, Yongde Xia
1Nanotubes Laboratory, Advanced Materials Research Group, School of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. Research Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Shandong, Jinan 250061, People's Republic of China.
Ultra-thin tungsten(18) oxide (W(18)O(49)) nanowires transform into larger WO(3) particles upon heating. This study details their structural evolution and surface area changes with increasing temperature.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Solid State Chemistry
Background:
- Ultra-thin W(18)O(49) nanowires are synthesized via solvothermal methods.
- Understanding nanowire behavior under thermal stress is crucial for applications involving temperature variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the morphological and phase transformation of W(18)O(49) nanowires during thermal processing.
- To characterize the structural evolution and specific surface area changes as a function of annealing temperature.
Main Methods:
- Solvothermal synthesis of W(18)O(49) nanowires.
- Annealing in a tube furnace in air.
- Characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron microscopy.
- Specific surface area measurements.
Main Results:
- Nanowire morphology evolved from ultra-thin structures to larger, irregular particles (up to 5 µm) with increasing annealing temperature.
- W(18)O(49) completely transformed to monoclinic WO(3) at 500°C, a stable phase at high temperatures.
- Specific surface area decreased from 151 m²/g (as-prepared) to 110 m²/g (400°C) and 66 m²/g (450°C).
Conclusions:
- Thermal processing significantly alters the morphology and phase of W(18)O(49) nanowires.
- The transformation to WO(3) and particle coarsening are key outcomes of annealing.
- Findings provide insights into nanowire evolution under thermal cycling, relevant for material design.
