Abstract
Porous Anodic Alumina (PAA) membranes have been fabricated from pure and doped aluminum films (Pure Al, Al-0.5wt.%Cu and Al-1wt.%Si) by the one-step anodization method at room temperature. Formation of the PAA has been performed by three different electrolytes, namely: sulfuric (1 M), oxalic (0.3 M) and phosphoric (0.75 M) acids. For this purpose, potentiostatic anodization in a two-electrode cell configuration has been carried out. High quality alumina with straight pores have been obtained starting from pure aluminum metal films. It is found that, different types of branched structures are formed by aluminum films doped with impurities such as Si and Cu. The relationship between the electrochemical current response and the obtained pore architectures are discussed. Oxide formation rates, barrier layer thickness, vertical and horizontal inter-pore distances are investigated. The present synthesized templates have a large surface area make it one of the mostpopular nanomaterial with applications across a gamut of areas including, energy storage, sensors and biosensors.