Template-free hydrothermal synthesis of MgWO nanoplates and their application as photocatalysts.

As a semiconductor, MgWO has a potential in photocatalytic applications; however, it has been overlooked in previous studies; in this study, it has been demonstrated that MgWO exhibits the ability to drive photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Compared to nanoparticle structures, MgWO nanoplates show an increased photocatalytic ability due to their higher specific surface area. Moreover, the formation mechanism of MgWO nanoplates has been discussed. An oriented attachment and ripening process is proposed for the formation of the MgWO nanoplates. This study demonstrates that MgWO can be considered a valuable photocatalytic material, and future studies should be focused on how to promote its photocatalytic conversion efficiency.