h-MoO3 microrods grown on wood substrates through a low-temperature hydrothermal route and their optical properties

Molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) films with optical properties were successfully grown on wood substrates using a low-temperature hydrothermal method. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows that MoO3 thin films were composed of rods-like microstructures and the rod sizes increased as the initial pH value of the solution increased. X-ray diffraction studies indicate crystallinity was greatly improved by increasing the pH value of the precursor solution. Raman spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis further proves that pure MoO3 films could be grown on a wood substrate. The UV-Vis analysis suggests that the films exhibited better in response to UV light. The band gap energy estimated from the Kubelka-Munk function was found to be in the range of 2.847-2.974 eV. The results from thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry experiments imply that the films possessed good thermal stability.