Controlled synthesis of anatase/tungstite heterogeneous nanomaterials induced by oxalic acid

Abstract A series of anatase/tungstite heterogeneous nanomaterials with various molar ratios were synthesized by hydrothermal method with oxalic acid as additive, in which the nucleation and growth of tungstite grains were controlled effectively. In our experiments, tungstite grains grew on the surface of TiO 2 grains, which was significant for obtaining heterogeneous composites, and the grain boundaries in composites were considered to promote photocatalytic ability effectively. It was demonstrated that heterogeneous nanomaterials synthesized had obviously better photocatalytic ability than the physical mixture of homogeneous nanomaterials (pure anatase and tungstite) no matter if under ultraviolet irradiation or visible light.