Rapid synthesis of vertically aligned α-MoO₃ nanostructures on substrates

We report a new procedure for large scale, reproducible and fast synthesis of polycrystalline, dense, vertically aligned α-MoO₃ nanostructures on conducting (FTO) and non-conducting substrates (Si/SiO₂) by using a simple, low-cost hydrothermal technique. The synthesis method consists of two steps, firstly formation of a thermally evaporated Cr/MoO₃ seed layer, and secondly growth of the nanostructures in a highly acidic precursor solution. In this report, we document a growth process of vertically aligned α-MoO₃ nanostructures with varying growth parameters, such as pH and precursor concentration influencing the resulting structure. Vertically aligned MoO₃ nanostructures are valuable for different applications such as electrode material for organic and dye-sensitized solar cells, as a photocatalyst, and in Li-ion batteries, display devices and memory devices due to their high surface area.