Transmission electron microscopy analysis of self-ordered porous alumina obtained by electrochemical anodization shows that self-ordering requires a porosity of 10%, independent of the specific anodization conditions. This corresponds to a volume expansion of alumina to aluminum of about 1.2. We propose that self-ordering of porous alumina with any interpore distance is possible if the applied potential, which mainly determines the interpore distance, and the pH value of the electrolyte, which mainly defines the pore radius, match the 10% porosity rule.

We have developed a simple technique for the fabrication of polymer nanotubes with a monodisperse size distribution and uniform orientation. When either a polymer melt or solution is placed on a substrate with high surface energy, it will spread to form a thin film, known as a precursor film, similar to the behavior of low molar mass liquids (1, 2). Similar wetting phenomena occur if porous templates are brought into contact with polymer solutions or melts: A thin surface film will cover the pore walls in the initial stages of wetting. This is because the cohesive driving forces for complete filling are much weaker than the adhesive forces. Wall wetting and complete filling of the pores thus take place on different time scales. The latter is prevented by thermal quenching in the case of melts or by solvent evaporation in the case of solutions, thus preserving a nanotube structure. If the template is of monodisperse size distribution, aligned or ordered, so are the nanotubes, and ordered polymer nanotube arrays can be obtained if the template is removed. Any melt-processible polymer, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), blends, or multicomponent solutions can be formed into nanotubes with a wall thickness of a few tens of nanometers. Owing to its versatility, this approach should be a promising route toward functionalized polymer nanotubes. We used ordered porous alumina and oxidized macroporous silicon templates with narrow pore size distribution (3). Extended regular pore arrays were prepared by lithography. The pores are well-defined, straight, with a smooth inner surface and with diameters D P between 300 and 900 nm. To process melts, we placed the polymer on a pore array at a temperature well above its glass transition temperature, in

The magnetic behavior of 100 nm period arrays of Ni nanowires embedded in a highly ordered alumina pore matrix were characterized by magnetometry and magnetic force microscopy. Reducing the diameter of the nanowires from 55 to 30 nm while keeping the interwire distance constant leads to increasing coercive fields from 600 to 1200 Oe and to increasing remanence from 30% to 100%. The domain structure of the arrays exhibits in the demagnetized state a labyrith-like pattern. These results show that stray field interactions of single domain nanowires are entirely dependent on the nanowire diameter.

3D hierarchical heterostructure NiFe LDH@NiCoP/NF electrodes are prepared successfully on nickel foam with special interface engineering and synergistic effects. This research finds that the as-prepared NiFe LDH@NiCoP/NF electrodes have a more sophisticated inner structure and intensive interface than a simple physical mixture. The NiFe LDH@NiCoP/NF electrodes require an overpotential as low as 120 and 220 mV to deliver 10 mA cm −2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 m KOH, respectively. Tafel and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy further reveal a favorable kinetic during electrolysis. Specifically, the NiFe LDH@NiCoP/NF electrodes are simultaneously used as cathode and anode for overall water splitting, which requires a cell voltage of 1.57 V at 10 mA cm −2 . Furthermore, the synergistic effect of the heterostructure improves the structural stability and promotes the generation of active phases during HER and OER, resulting in excellent stability over 100 h of continuous operation. Moreover, the strategy and interface engineering of the introduced heterostructure can also be used to prepare other bifunctional and cost-efficient electrocatalysts for various applications.

The wetting of porous templates with polymer melts and solutions or polymer-containing mixtures is a simple and versatile method for the preparation of tubular structures with diameters ranging from a few tens of nanometers to micrometers. The tube walls can be made of a multitude of materials, some of which have thus far been altogether impossible to use or very limited in their ability to be incorporated into nanostuctures. Template wetting also makes it possible to modify the nanotubes in a variety of ways, for example through the controlled generation of pores or the embedding of nanoparticles into the walls. This method offers a promising approach to functionalized nanotube-template hybrid systems and free-standing nanotubes.

Reducing green hydrogen production costs is essential for developing a hydrogen economy. Developing cost-effective electrocatalysts for water electrolysis is thus of great research interest. Among various material candidates, transition metal phosphides (TMP) have emerged as robust bifunctional electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) due to their various phases and tunable electronic structure. Recently, heterostructured catalysts have exhibited significantly enhanced activities toward HER/OER. The enhancement can be attributed to the increased amount of accessible active sites, accelerated mass/charge transfer, and optimized adsorption of intermediates, which arise from the synergistic effects of the heterostructure. Herein, a comprehensive overview of the recent progress of bifunctional TMP-based heterostructure is introduced to provide an insight into their preparation and corresponding reaction mechanisms. It starts with summarizing general fundamental aspects of HER/OER and the synergistic effect of heterostructures for enhanced catalytic activity. Next, the innovational strategies to design and construct bifunctional TMP-based heterostructures with enhanced overall water splitting activity, as well as the related mechanisms, are discussed in detail. Finally, a summary and perspective for further opportunities and challenges are highlighted for the further development of bifunctional TMP-based heterostructures from the points of practical application and mechanistic studies.

Highly ordered silver nanowire arrays have been obtained by pulsed electrodeposition in self-ordered porous alumina templates. Homogeneous filling of all the pores of the alumina template is achieved. The interwire distance is about 110 nm corresponding to a density of silver nanowires of 61ϫ10 9 in. Ϫ2 and the diameter can be varied between 30 and 70 nm. The silver wires are monocrystalline with some twin lamella defects and grow perpendicular to the ͗110͘ direction. The previously encountered difficulty to obtain 100% filling of the alumina pores is discussed in the framework of electrostatic instabilities taking into account the different potential contributions during electrodeposition. To obtain homogeneously filled pore membranes, a highly conductive metal containing electrolyte, a homogeneous aluminum oxide barrier layer, and pulsed electrodeposition are a prerequisite.

Poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) nanotubes were prepared by wetting of ordered porous templates. We processed either PVDF melts or solutions. The properties of the nanotubes depend strongly on the preparation method. Solution-wetting provides nanotube walls with poor crystallinity. In contrast, nanotube walls obtained by melt-wetting exhibit a pronounced crystallinity indicating the formation of a brushlike wetting layer. The crystallites grow preferentially in the direction of minimal curvature, which corresponds to the long axis of the nanotube. The crystal facets with the highest growth rate are oriented perpendicularly to this axis. For nanotubes consisting of R-PVDF, X-ray diffraction revealed that the b-axis of the unit cell is oriented parallel to the long axis of the nanotube.