WO3 nanostructures produced from tungsten welding electrode scraps: Temperature influence on optical and morphological characteristics

Abstract

Methods to produce WO3 nanostructures have become important due to the possibility of using this material in a wide range of technological applications. In this context, a hydrated WO3.2H2O structure was produced by the electrochemical dissolution of welding electrode scraps in an alkali aqueous solution, followed by acid precipitation. The thermal treatment of this precursor structure at 550, 700, 850, and 1000 °C was able to produce γ phase WO3 materials with a monoclinic crystalline structure at all the temperatures used, as demonstrated by XRD and RAMAN characterization. However, different treatment temperatures can yield materials with diverse morphologies and optoelectronic properties. For example, the material produced at 1000 °C presented an elongated nanorod shape, with dimensions, from the base, ranging between 50 and 500 nm, a length of about 4 μm, and the lowest Eg value. The spectroscopic characterization also demonstrated that above 700 °C, the thermal treatment could eliminate the crystallization water and create oxygen vacancies, mainly at 850 and 1000 °C; explaining the decrease in the Eg values with increased temperature. As proof of concept, photocatalytic degradation of the Reactive Black 5 dye demonstrated that the material produced at 1000 °C was able to discolor ca. 50% of the initial color. Broad DFT analyses were performed, carefully describing the surface properties and the influence of morphology on the material properties. Therefore, we demonstrated that a simple, fast and low-cost two-step process was successfully developed aiming at a noble reuse of residues of this important material.