Temperature-dependent hydrothermal processing of WS2 nanorods with controlled growth morphology, crystallography and optical properties

• WS 2 nanorods synthesized via hydrothermal method at 230 °C followed by varying two more temperatures (±10 °C). • WS 2 nanorods with uniform size distribution of 120 nm in width and 600–950 nm in length were successfully processed. • HRTEM images indicate well-defined atomic-scale arrangement of 0.67 nm related to (0 0 2) lattice-plane of 2H-WS 2 . • Direct allowed band-gap value enhanced from 1.97 to 2.12 to 2.22 eV with increasing temperature from 220 to 230 to 240 °C. • This study will provide potential reference for future studies in both basic and applied WS 2 research. WS 2 nanorods with uniform size-distribution of width 120 nm and length 600–950 nm were successfully processed at 230 °C by reliable and cost-effective hydrothermal method . Two more temperatures (±10 °C) were employed to understand its influence on structural- and optical-properties. Consequences achieved from crystallography and spectroscopy analyses suggest that formation of hexagonal-phase of crystalline WS 2 with direct allowed band-gap values in upward manner as temperature increased. In light of temperature-dependent studies achieved from experimental evidences, plausible growth-mechanism of WS 2 nanorods was proposed. It will provide potential reference for future studies in both basic- and applied-WS 2 research.