Size‐ and Shape‐Controlled Conversion of Tungstate‐Based Inorganic–Organic Hybrid Belts to WO 3 Nanoplates with High Specific Surface Areas

Two‐dimensional monoclinic WO 3 nanoplates with high specific surface areas are synthesized through a novel conversion process using tungstate‐based inorganic–organic hybrid micro/nanobelts as precursors. The process developed involves a topochemical transformation of tungstate‐based inorganic–organic hybrid belts into WO 3 nanoplates via an intermediate product of H 2 WO 4 nanoplates, utilizing the similarity of the WO octahedral layers in both H 2 WO 4 and WO 3 . The as‐obtained WO 3 nanoplates show a single‐crystalline nanostructure with the smallest side along the [001] direction. The WO 3 nanoplates are 200–500 nm × 200–500 nm × 10–30 nm in size, and their specific surface areas are up to 180 m 2 g −1 . Photocatalytic measurements of visible‐light‐driven oxidation of water for O 2 generation in the presence of Ag + ions indicate that the activity of the as‐obtained WO 3 nanoplates is one order of magnitude higher than that of commercially available WO 3 powders.