W18O49 nanorods decorated with Ag/AgCl nanoparticles as highly-sensitive gas-sensing material and visible-light-driven photocatalyst

A novel gas-sensing material and photocatalyst was successfully obtained by decorating Ag/AgCl nanoparticles on the W18O49 nanorods through a clean photochemical route. The as-prepared samples were characterized using combined techniques of X-ray diffractometry, electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Gas-sensing measurements indicate that the Ag/AgCl/W18O49 NRs sensors exhibit superior reducing gas-sensing properties to those of bare W18O49 NRs, and they are highly selective and sensitive to NH3, acetone, and H2S with short response and recovery times. The Ag/AgCl/W18O49 NRs photocatlysts also possess higher photocatalytic performance than bare W18O49 NRs for degradation of methyl orange under simulated sunlight irradiation. Possible mechanisms concerning the enhancement of gas-sensing and photocatalytic activities of the Ag/AgCl/W18O49 NRs composite were proposed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.