Although in recent years researchers have committed significant efforts investigating properties and potential functionalities of metal oxides, commercially available oxide-based devices still
remain quite limited. Reasons for this include high material costs, sophisticated/non-scalable growth techniques, and insufficient enhancements over current industry standards. Our aim is
to narrow the divide that separates fundamental research and functional applications by developing efficient synthesis methods for strategic materials that will be highly impactful on
society. In particular we have identified tungsten oxide owing to its large abundance, optical bandgap, and versatile physical properties as an ideal candidate for photocatalytic hydrogen
production which has potential to provide a positive paradigm shift in society’s demand for fossil fuel generated energy, especially in developing portions of the world. Here I will discuss two
parallel approaches towards synthesizing tungsten oxide nanostructures that are cost effective, time efficient, and scalable along with their morphology, crystallinity, electronic properties, and
potential for utilization in functional devices.