Single-step synthesis of TiO2/WO3−x hybrid nanomaterials in ethanoic acid: Structure and photoluminescence properties.

[Display omitted] • Versatile one step synthesis of TiO 2 /WO 3− x hybrid nanowire beams. • Mechanism of formation of the nanowire beams in ethanoic acid. • Conversion of TiO 2 -based nanomaterials from nanoparticles to nanowire beams. • Modifying photoluminescence properties of TiO 2 nanomaterials by WO 3− x. In this paper, we report the one-step synthesis of the TiO 2 /WO 3− x hybrid nanomaterials in ethanoic acid using the tungsten hexachloride (WCl 6) and titanium butoxide precursors. The characterization results indicate that the WO 3− x incorporation in TiO 2 nanomaterials leads to the morphology conversion of TiO 2 nanomaterials from the nanoparticles to the nanowire beams. The conversion mechanism is based on enhancing the nucleation rate of TiO 2 and the viscosity of the solution containing the mixed WCl 6 powder and titanium butoxide precursors. The photoluminescence (PL) studies reveal that the as-synthesized TiO 2 /WO 3− 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, WO 3− x also leads to the PL quenching due to the oxygen vacancy migration and charge transfer across the TiO 2 /WO 3− 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]