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.