Fabrication of a new generation of track-etched templates and their use for the synthesis of metallic and organic nanostructures

This paper reports on the realisation of nanoporous supported templates by the track-etching method. Spin-coated polycarbonate films have been irradiated by energetic heavy ions (Ar9+, 220 MeV), UV irradiated and chemically etched in aqueous NaOH (2 N, 70 degree sign C). The thickness of the supported templates has been varied between 200 nm and a few microns and the pore size between 15 and 100 nm. Dynamics of pore formation in these supported templates has been compared to dynamics of pore formation in classical self-supported track-etched membranes. This new generation of templates has been successfully used to electrochemically synthesise polypyrrole nanotubes and copper (Cu) nanowires. The pore size and the nanostructure morphology, providing information on the pore shape, have been studied by high resolution electron microscopy