Infiltration Control of Highly Ordered Nanoporous Aluminum Oxide Membranes with Aqueous Electrolytes
Creators: name: Malyshev, Valerii
name: Oliseveca, Irina
name: Poplausks, Raimonds
name: Meija, Raimonds
name: Nedrygailov, Ievgen
name: Holmes, Justin D
name: Erts, Donats
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: energy harvesting
sustainable materials
h2020
EU funded
waste heat
waste heat recovery
porous anodic aluminum oxide
electrochemical application of PAAO membranes
Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide
two-stage scheme anodization
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

description: ABSTARCT

Keywords: PAAO, porous anodic aluminium oxide, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Actuality and aimNowadays highly ordered porous anodic aluminum oxide (PAAO) is one of the frequently used platforms for avariety of applications:as templates for different nanostructures, for molecular separation, sensing, energygeneration and storage [1]. Effective impregnation of membrane pores with an electrolyte is of utmostimportance in the electrochemical application of PAAO membranes.

MethodsNanoporous anodic aluminum oxide layers with different pore diameters and different thicknesses have beenprepared by the standard two-stage scheme anodization of electropolished aluminum sheet in 0.3 M oxalic orsulfuric acid with subsequent removal of the barrier layer. Free-standing PAAO membranes were obtained bysubsequent etching of the aluminium layer. As the result, membranes with thicknesses of 9-112 μm werefabricated. The pores’ diameters of the PAAO membranes obtained by anodizing in sulfuric acid were 13-20 nmand the diameters of the PAAO membranes obtained in oxalic acid were 33-40 nm.

ResultsThe average values of pore diameters, inter-pore distances, porosity and thickness of PAAO were measured bythe processing of scanning electron microscopy images.

ConclusionsFor PAAO membrane’s pore infiltration electrolyte wetting, vacuum impregnation, pressure impregnation andlowering of surface tension of electrolyte solution with surface-active agents were used. The filling power of eachtechnique was determined by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with a subsequent fitting of theobtained spectra.

AcknowledgementsThis work was supported by Horizon 2020 project "The Recycling of waste heat through the Application ofNanofluidic Channels: Advances in the Conversion of Thermal to Electrical energy” — “TRANSLATE”” (Grantnumber: 964251)

References1. Domagalski, J.T.; Xifre-Perez, E.; Marsal, L.F. Recent Advances in Nanoporous Anodic Alumina: Principles, Engineering, and Applications.Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 430.
description: This poster was presented by Dr Valerii Malyshev at the Joint International Scientific Conference "Functional Materials and Nanotechnologies" and "Nanotechnologies and Innovations in the Baltic Sea Region" (FM&NT - NIBS 2022). This was held at the University of Latvia, Riga.

TRANSLATE is a €3.4 million EU-funded research project that aims to develop a new nanofluidic platform technology to effectively convert waste heat to electricity. This technology has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of many devices and systems, and provide a radically new zero-emission power source. The TRANSLATE project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 964251, for the action of 'The Recycling of waste heat through the Application of Nanofluidic ChannelS: Advances in the Conversion of Thermal to Electrical energy'. More information can be be found on the TRANSLATE project website: https://translate-energy.eu/