Structuring of sodium tungstate with sodium dodecyl sulphate in aqueous media and its implications for advanced materials development

Abstract

This article explores the structuring sodium tungstate with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in water and characterizing the resulting products post-destabilization with hydrochloric acid and calcination. Utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), fluorescence spectroscopy with a pyrene probe, conductivity, and pH analyses, the study elucidates the system's structure and interactions. SDS serves as a structuring agent for tungstate anions in water, with sulphate anions interacting with tungsten d-orbitals. The presence of SDS significantly influences final structures after calcination. Higher precursor/structuring agent ratios result in higher proportion of tungsten oxide, alongside Na2W2O7 and Na2W4O13. Varying calcination temperatures yield different crystal structures and morphologies, including flower petals and roses at 500 °C and nanorods at 700 °C. These findings shed light on material structuring processes. The obtained materials exhibit to utilize solar radiation for chemical reactions.