Synthesis of transition metal-doped tungsten oxide nanostructures and their optical properties

In the present work, we report the solvothermal synthesis of transition metal-doped tungsten oxide nanostructures and their optical properties. Uniform, well-defined Co-doped tungsten oxide nanoblocks consisting of ultrathin nanowires, lenticular bundled Zn-doped tungsten oxide nanorods, and plate-shaped or flower-like Fe-doped tungsten oxide particles have been successfully prepared with the addition of different dopants. The doping of Co and Zn ions may prohibit the oriented growth of the tungsten oxide nanowires and favor their self-assembly, leading to the formation of bundled nanoblocks and nanorods. The Fe-doped tungsten oxide flowers may result from the ordered arrangement of single nanoplates. The band gaps of undoped, Fe-, Zn-, and Co-doped tungsten oxides are found to be 2.92, 2.78, 2.62, and 2.52 eV, respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.