Electrochemical approaches for the fabrication and/or characterization of pure and hybrid templated mesoporous oxide thin films: a review

Electrochemistry can be used for fabrication and characterization of mesoporous oxide films. First, this review provides insight into the methods used to prepare templated mesoporous thin films on an electrode surface, i.e., evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) and electrochemically assisted self-assembly (EASA). Electrochemical characterization of mass transport processes in pure and organically functionalized mesoporous oxide films is then discussed. The electrochemical response can be basically restricted by the electron/mass transfer reaction at the electrode-film interface and diffusion through mesopore channels. The contributions of cyclic voltammetry, hydrodynamic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and scanning electrochemical microscopy to the characterization of films with distinct mesostructures are finally described, with special emphasis on identification of conditions that can affect the electrochemical response recorded with such modified electrodes.