Effect of various parameters on the morphology of anodic WO3 nanostructure: transition from nanoflowers to nanosheets

Abstract

Nanomaterials with diverse morphologies have attracted considerable attention owing to their applications in numerous scientific disciplines. This study investigated the influence of various experimental parameters on the morphology of anodic WO3 nanostructures obtained in aqueous HNO3. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that WO3 comprises a monoclinic phase, while field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) results revealed the formation of WO3 nanoflowers and nanosheets morphologies under optimized conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis further verified the chemical composition and oxidation state (W6+) of the WO3 nanoflowers. The proposed mechanism for the formation of nanoflowers and its transition to nanosheets based on chemical reactions is also elucidated. This study provides information regarding the specified parameters and their potential impact on the morphology of the anodic WO3 nanostructures.