The hexagonal WO3 nanorods with high crystallinity have been synthesized by a hydrothermal method from ammonium meta-tungstate and citric acid.
The morphologies, sizes and preferred orientation of WO3 nanocrystal can be controlled by simply adjusting the amount of citric acid. Without the citric acid, the 10–20 nm thick nanoplate or nanosheet of h-WO3 were formed.
With increasing the amount of citric acid, nanorods or nanoneedles can grow along [0 0 2] crystal orientation from the certain nanoplate crystal planes. The nanorods was in range of 40–50 nm in diameter and up to 1 渭m in length.