Optimization, yield studies and morphology of WO3 nano-wires synthesized by laser pyrolysis in C2H2 and O2 ambients—validation of a new growth mechanism

Abstract

Laser pyrolysis has been used to synthesize WO3 nanostructures. Spherical nano-particles were obtained when acetylene was used to carry the precursor droplet, whereas thin films were obtained at high flow-rates of oxygen carrier gas. In both environments WO3 nano-wires appear only after thermal annealing of the as-deposited powders and films. Samples produced under oxygen carrier gas in the laser pyrolysis system gave a higher yield of WO3 nano-wires after annealing than the samples which were run under acetylene carrier gas. Alongside the targeted nano-wires, the acetylene-ran samples showed trace amounts of multi-walled carbon nano-tubes; such carbon nano-tubes are not seen in the oxygen-processed WO3 nano-wires. The solid–vapour–solid (SVS) mechanism [B. Mwakikunga et al., J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol., 2008] was found to be the possible mechanism that explains the manner of growth of the nano-wires. This model, based on the theory from basic statistical mechanics has herein been validated by length-diameter data for the produced WO3 nano-wires