Membrane anodized alumina oxide

Mesoporous alumina membranes ( anodic aluminium oxide , or AAO) are prepared by anodic oxidation of aluminium metal [1,2]. The cylindrical pores, perpendicular to the membrane surface, form hexagonal arrays of straight non-intersecting channels with pore densities up to lO Vcm. Their diameters are controllable within the range 5 - 100 nm as a linear function of anodisation voltage. These membranes are used as molecular sieves, and have also found application as templates for metallic nanowires [3,4,5,6], metal elusters and colloids [7,8], and carbon nanotubes [9,10]. 

Figure 5.8 Scanning electron micrograph [SEM] image of anodic alumina oxide [AAO] membrane. Reprinted with permission from Ref 63. Copyright 2008 American Chemical Society.

The MF membranes are usually made from natural or synthetic polymers such as cellulose acetate (CA), polyvinylidene difiuoride, polyamides, polysulfone, polycarbonate, polypropylene, and polytetrafiuoroethylene (FIFE) (13). Some of the newer MF membranes are ceramic membranes based on alumina, membranes formed during the anodizing of aluminium, and carbon membrane. Glass is being used as a membrane material. Zirconium oxide can also be deposited onto a porous carbon tube. Sintered metal membranes are fabricated from stainless steel, silver, gold, platinum, and nickel, in disks and tubes. The properties of membrane materials are directly reflected in their end applications. Some criteria for their selection are mechanical strength, temperature resistance, chemical compatibility, hydrophobility, hydrophilicity, permeability, permselectivity and the cost of membrane material as well as manufacturing process. 

Another way to template thin films of nano-sized cylinders perpendicular to the surface is to start with a preformed membrane of track-etched polycarbonate or nanoporous alumina. A fiuid dispersion of a filler material can be drawn into the pores. Anodized aluminum oxide was the template for construction of lithium ion nanobatteries having many parallel cells filled with the solid state electrolyte PEO-LiOTf (poly(ethylene oxide)-lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate) and the electrodes coated on the top and bottom surfaces of the film (41). 

Using porous anodic aluminium oxide films, Routkevitchand associates electrodeposited very thin CdS nanowires [49]. The alumina membranes were typically 1 - 3-pm thick with pore sizes ranging from 9 to 35 nm. The CdS was electrodeposited, using ac electrodeposition, from a DMSO solution containing CdCl2 and elemental S. The porous alumina, as anodized, was separated from the A1 by a dense oxide... 

The formation of nanostructured arrays of conjugated polymers by the utilization of nanoporous templates has been reported. The deposition of the polymer inside the pores can be achieved by filling the pores with a solution of polymer and evaporation of the solvent or by the direct synthesis of conjugated polymer inside the pores by chemical or electrochemical approaches. Porous templates were based on track-etched polycarbonate membranes [106-108] or alumina that is obtained by anodic aluminum oxidation (AAO) [109-lllj. Thus, periodic vertical channels with diameters between 20 and 120 nm are formed by first electrochemical oxidation and etching and then subsequent etching for pore widening (Figure 13.16). 

RuOj nanotubes have been synthesized by the thermal decomposition of Ru3(CO)j2 inside anodic alumina membranes [248]. Transition metal oxide nanotubes have been prepared in water using iced hpid nanotubes as the template [249]. Self-assembled cholesterol derivatives act as templates as well as catalysts for the sol-gel polymerization of inorganic precursors to give rise to double-walled tubular structures of transition metal oxides [250]. Hydrothermal synthesis of single-crystalline y-Fefi ... 

Most of the work that has been carried out using porous membranes as hard templates was done on porous alumina (anodic aluminium oxide, AAO) or track-etched polycarbonate membranes. The general principle of nanotube formation relies on a continuous polymer film being formed on the inside of the pores that remains as a tubular structure once the template is removed. There are several possibilities as to how this polymer film can be formed inside the pore. A film can be obtained by wetting the pore with a polymer melt or a polymer solution. Alternatively, the polymerization of monomers... 

Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are a popular choice as templates for nanowires and nanotubes. As such they have been used to fabricate polymer nanochannels, mostly via melt inbltration, which has given the possibility of stud dng the wetting and flow of polymer melts in the alumina pores. In one such work an enhanced flow rate of poly-caprolactone was observed when mechanical vibration is applied to the AAO during the filling process. It... 

Abstract Membrane reactors with a catalyst bed are designed to be used in various reactions, such as hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, oxidation and reforming reactions. The catalyst can be introduced into the reactor as a bed in several ways in the form, for example, of pellets, extrudates or tablets or it can be incorporated in the reactor as a catalytic membrane wall. However, in many cases, the studies concentrate on the membrane itself, the development of catalysts is ignored, and commercial catalysts are used in the experiments. Most of the catalysts tested are aluminium oxide (alumina, AI2O3) based, as alumina is a mature support and already well proven in convectional reactors. However, some new catalyst materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon black, gels and anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) are developed as innovative catalyst supports and catalysts, since there is also a need for new catalysts for membrane reactors. 

Anodically grown aluminum oxide (AI2O3) has also been used extensively as a template [3,32-37]. When grown on high-purity aluminum, this material has a hexagonal pattern of cylindrical pores, which extend through the thickness of the alumina (Fig. 1C and ID). These microporous alumina films can be removed from the substrate A1 metal and collected as a freestanding membrane [37,38]. 

A completely different type of inorganic membrane also has its origin in the nuclear industry the asymmetric alumina membranes obtained by the anodic oxidation of an aluminum sheet were first developed for uranium enrichment... 

Another class of alumina membranes made by an entirely different process (anodic oxidation) are marketed by Alcan/Anotec and used exclusively for laboratory applications as these are currently available only in disk forms. 

Yamada, M., K. Fugii, H. Ham and K. Itabashi. 1988. Preparation and catalytic properties of special alumina membrane formed by anodic oxidation of aluminum. Proc. 9th Inti. Cong. Catal. 1945-1951. 

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