Formation and electrochemical characterization of anodic ZrO2-WO3 mixed oxide nanotubular arrays

ZrO2-WO3 mixed oxide nanotubes were synthesized by a simple electrochemical anodization route. The oxide nanotubes contained a mixture of metastable hexagonal WO3 and monoclinic (and orthorhombic) ZrO2 phases, as well as a mixed-oxide ZrW2O8 phase that showed a metastable tetragonal symmetry. Evaluation of photo-activity of the materials showed generation of photo-potentials of −85 mV and −230 mV in the as-anodized and annealed conditions. Because of the mismatch in the band edge positions of the WO3 and ZrO2 phases and the resultant relaxation of photo-generated charge carriers, no significant photo-current density could be observed. The arrays of oxide nanotubes are considered for electrochemical capacitor application because of their morphology-assisted fast charge/discharge kinetics and large surface area. Presence of a large concentration of charge defects (on the order of 1021 cm−3) and the reported high proton conductivity of the ZrO2-WO3 mixed oxide rendered high capacitance, which decreased with an increase in the scan rate of cyclic voltammetry. The highest measured capacitance was 40.03 mF/cm2 at a scan rate of 10 mV/s and the lowest was 1.93 mF/cm2 at 1 V/s in 1 M sulfuric acid solution.