Nanostructured-based WO3 photocatalysts: recent development, activity enhancement, perspectives and applications for wastewater treatment

The growth of highly ordered architectures of semiconductor metallic oxide photocatalyst has acknowledged great consideration due to natural growth along with exceptional morphology properties and potential application ways to resolve the problem of freshwater shortages in this world. Tungsten trioxide (WO3) is a well-known semiconductor photocatalyst due to its better response in solar spectrum, fine metal interactions, mechanical strength, high efficiency, harmlessness and cost-effectiveness. This review focuses on a precise and overall description of the recent literature relating pure and doped/composite WO3 catalyst, photocatalytic enhancement mechanism. Moreover, it will also elaborate the experimental conditions used photocatalyst synthesis processes, optimization of the parameters affecting the degradation efficiency of various dyes. Furthermore, strategies for improving photocatalytic activity of WO3 like metal doping, semiconductor coupling, metal sulfides and metal nitrides coupling are systematically summarized and highlighted. After this, future perspectives about advancement and applications are reviewed. It is expected that this review article could offer strategies for designing novel WO3-based photocatalysts which can have promising prospects of multifunctional applications to meet the imperative demands of highly efficient solar energy conversion.