LAUSR

Abstract In this paper, we report the one-step synthesis of the TiO2/WO3−x hybrid nanomaterials in ethanoic acid using the tungsten hexachloride (WCl6) and titanium butoxide precursors. The characterization results indicate that the WO3−x incorporation in TiO2 nanomaterials leads to the morphology conversion of TiO2 nanomaterials from the nanoparticles to the nanowire beams. The conversion mechanism is based on enhancing the nucleation rate of TiO2 and the viscosity of the solution containing the mixed WCl6 powder and titanium butoxide precursors. The photoluminescence (PL) studies reveal that the as-synthesized TiO2/WO3−x hybrid nanomaterials generate the UV, blue, green and red light, and these emissions are related to the band-band transition, surface states, oxygen vacancies and the transition between the gap state and valence band, respectively. Furthermore, WO3−x also leads to the PL quenching due to the oxygen vacancy migration and charge transfer across the TiO2/WO3−x interfaces and the enhancement of nonradiative recombination centers. Finally, the application of the as-synthesized hybrid nanomaterials in the area of photocatalysis was explored.