Effective removal of organic dyes by tungstate oxide nanourchins

W18O49 nanourchins were synthesized via a solvothermal reaction of WCl6 in triethylene glycol. They possessed high specific surface area of 103.4 m2.g− 1 and exhibited excellent adsorption capacity for the removal of methylene blue and rhodamine B. The equilibrium adsorption capacity toward methylene blue and rhodamine B reached 150.3 and 81.78 mg.g− 1, respectively. Oxygen vacancies in W18O49 played an important role in the adsorption of organic pollutants. The adsorption kinetics of methylene blue and rhodamine B were both well described by the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption was found to be controlled by both surface adsorption and intraparticle diffusion. Our product is expected to be a promising material for wastewater treatment.