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.