Formation of silver nanorod arrays in an anodised aluminium oxide membrane

A highly ordered silver nanorod array (AgNRs) with a diameter of 90?nm has been prepared by chemical reduction from silver nitrate in a porous anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membrane. The AAO membrane was fabricated electrochemically in an oxalic acid solution via a one-step anodisation process, followed by the growth of silver NR in the long-range ordered nanochannels of the AAO membrane via chemical reduction. The morphologies of AAO membrane and AgNRs with periodic rows of air-pockets encapsulated in the AAO membrane have been investigated using TEM. The crystalline structure and chemical composition have been confirmed by XRD, TEM and EDX techniques. The process, which has three stages, namely, (1) anodising of aluminium foil to form a mesoporous membrane, (2) adsorption of metal ions, then (3) chemical reduction of the adsorbed metal ions to form the nanorod array of AgNRs in the pores of AAO membrane, has not, to the authors’ knowledge, been reported to date.