Synthesis of WO3 nanopowder using a green surfactant for efficient gas sensing applications

WO3 has attracted great attention for chemical gas sensing applications. However, the synthesis of WO3 is mainly performed by using hazardous organic solvents and corrosive acidic solutions, which can result in environmental and health issues. The development of safe synthesis procedures using green compounds and solvents is in great demand to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. Therefore, the effect of different eco-friendly chemical compounds on the growth of WO3 materials has yet to be thoroughly studied. Meanwhile, the fabrication of material at the nanoscale with specific crystalline properties may improve its sensitivity to the target gas. In this work, we report an efficient method for the synthesis of WO3 nanopowder by using water and a green surfactant such as vitamin C. The growth mechanism of the structure is analyzed considering the nature of solutions and surfactants. The studies indicate that the surfactant has a crucial effect on the formation of nanoparticles. Furthermore, the experimental findings show that the fabricated monoclinic WO3 material is highly sensitive and selective to low concentrations of acetone. Moreover, the structure exhibits quite stable functionalities at different levels of environmental humidity. Hence, this work may have a considerable impact on the existing techniques for the preparation of WO3 nanomaterials providing new insights into their green synthesis procedures. In addition, it can significantly affect the development of high-performance gas sensors and other catalytic devices based on WO3 nanostructures.