Nanostructural characterization of large-scale porous alumina fabricated via anodizing in arsenic acid solution

Highlights: • Anodic porous alumina was formed in an arsenic acid solution. • Potential difference (voltage) anodizing at 340 V was achieved. • The porous alumina was slightly ordered under the appropriate conditions. • Pore sealing behavior was not observed in boiling distilled water. • The porous alumina exhibits a white photoluminescence emission under UV irradiation. - Abstract: Anodizing of aluminum in an arsenic acid solution is reported for the fabrication of anodic porous alumina. The highest potential difference (voltage) without oxide burning increased as the temperature and the concentration of the arsenic acid solution decreased, and a high anodizing potential difference of 340 V was achieved. An ordered porous alumina with several tens of cells was formed in 0.1–0.5 M arsenic acid solutions at 310–340 V for 20 h. However, the regularity of the porous alumina was not improved via anodizing for 72 h. No pore sealing behavior of the porous alumina was observed upon immersion in boiling distilled water, and it may be due to the formation of an insoluble complex on the oxide surface. The porous alumina consisted of two different layers: a hexagonal alumina layer that contained arsenic from the electrolyte and a pure alumina honeycomb skeleton. The porous alumina exhibited a white photoluminescence emission at approximately 515 nm under UV irradiation at 254 nm.