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Controllable Synthesis of Hexagonal WO 3 Nanoplates for Efficient Visible‐Light‐Driven Photocatalytic Oxygen Production
Author(s) -
Wang Yu Lei,
Wang Xue Lu,
Li Yu Hang,
Fang Li Jun,
Zhao Jun Jie,
Du Xu Lei,
Chen Ai Ping,
Yang Hua Gui
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemistry – an asian journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1861-471X
pISSN - 1861-4728
DOI - 10.1002/asia.201601471
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , materials science , monoclinic crystal system , hexagonal crystal system , semiconductor , charge carrier , hexagonal phase , water splitting , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , phase (matter) , evaporation , charge (physics) , chemical physics , crystal structure , optoelectronics , catalysis , crystallography , chemistry , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering , thermodynamics
Facilitating charge‐carrier separation and transfer is fundamentally important to improve the photocatalytic performance of semiconductor materials. Herein, two‐dimensional hexagonal WO 3 nanoplates were synthesized by a two‐step route: rapid evaporation and solid‐phase sintering. The as‐prepared WO 3 exhibits an enhanced activity of photocatalytic water oxidation compared to bulk monoclinic WO 3 . The electron dynamics analysis reveals that a more efficient charge‐carrier separation in the former can be obtained, the origin of which can be attributed to an increased number of surface defects in hexagonal WO 3 nanoplates. This work not only presents a novel and simple method to produce two‐dimensional hexagonal WO 3 nanoplates, but also demonstrates that surface defects and two‐dimensional geometric structures can promote the charge separation, which may be extended to the design of other efficient photocatalysts.