13.2 Historical Background: From the Aluminium Industry …
479
Fig. 13.1 Ideal structure of the porous alumina layer on the aluminium substrate
self-supporting specimen. This opened the way for using it in various ways (filters,
luminescent coatings with regular pore spacing, host plate for cell cultures, biosensors and, importantly for electrochemists, as template for deposition as presented
in Chap. 11). Preparation and properties of PAA prepared with anodization were
reviewed time to time [13–16].
13.3 Traditional Laboratory Technique of PAA
Preparation
13.3.1 Aluminium Samples to Be Anodized
A prerequisite of the regularity of the pore system produced on aluminium by
anodization is the good quality of the starting material. For the purity of aluminium,
this means that 99.97% is the minimum quality requirement that can be hoped to
yield a regular pore system upon anodization, but Al with 99.999% purity level also
appears in several works. The thumb rule is “the cleaner, the better”. This has to
be kept in mind in each case, should the starting material purchased as sheet/foil or
produced by evaporation onto a suitable substrate.
479
Fig. 13.1 Ideal structure of the porous alumina layer on the aluminium substrate
self-supporting specimen. This opened the way for using it in various ways (filters,
luminescent coatings with regular pore spacing, host plate for cell cultures, biosensors and, importantly for electrochemists, as template for deposition as presented
in Chap. 11). Preparation and properties of PAA prepared with anodization were
reviewed time to time [13–16].
13.3 Traditional Laboratory Technique of PAA
Preparation
13.3.1 Aluminium Samples to Be Anodized
A prerequisite of the regularity of the pore system produced on aluminium by
anodization is the good quality of the starting material. For the purity of aluminium,
this means that 99.97% is the minimum quality requirement that can be hoped to
yield a regular pore system upon anodization, but Al with 99.999% purity level also
appears in several works. The thumb rule is “the cleaner, the better”. This has to
be kept in mind in each case, should the starting material purchased as sheet/foil or
produced by evaporation onto a suitable substrate.