Effect of voltammetric parameters on fabrication of highly ordered nanoporous alumina structures

The synthetic route of quantum wires, nanorods and nanotubes has recently acquired immense popularity, as the technique is easy, low cost and less skill dependent. In the present work, highly ordered, nanoporous alumina structures have been synthesised on aluminium in oxalic acid electrolyte using cyclic voltammetry by critically controlling the oxidation potential, temperature, time and concentration of the oxalic acid. Self-organised pores were developed over the anodic alumina. The effect of concentration of electrolyte, oxidation potential, temperature and treatment time were correlated with the morphology of the nanoporous alumina layers. The mechanism of the pore formation and its growth with respect to the changes in the nanostructures was also highlighted. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) were used as the characterisation tools in different stages of the experiment.