Morphology-controlled synthesis of 3D flower-like NiWO4 microstructure via surfactant-free wet chemical method

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) flower-like controllable microstructures of nickel tungsten oxide (NiWO4) were synthesized by using a surfactant free wet chemical method at low temperature (60 °C). The uniform morphologies of NiWO4 were molded by adjusting the temperature, stirring rate, and dosage of hydrazine in aqueous solution. We reported immediate precipitation of the 3D NiWO4 microflowers (MFs) by introducing hydrazine monohydrate (N2H4·H2O). This approach resulted in a better yield and shortened the reaction time. In this work, we investigated the probable mechanism behind the formation of flower-like microstructures. Furthermore, the flower-like microstructure was assessed for its electrochemical properties towards non-enzymatic glucose sensing by addition of 50 μL of a glucose solution (50 μM) in an electrolyte (0.1 M NaOH) using glassy carbon electrode.