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Designing Carbon-Enriched Alumina Films Possessing Visible Light Absorption
Arunas Jagminas1, Vaclovas Klimas1, Katsiaryna Chernyakova1
1State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Ave. 3, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 12, 2022
Summary
New alumina/carbon composite films with high carbon content were created using aluminum anodization in formic acid and sodium vanadate. These nanoporous films exhibit a remarkably low bandgap, suggesting potential for novel optical applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Aluminum anodization is a common surface treatment.
- Alumina films typically have wide bandgaps.
- Incorporating carbon into anodic films is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop alumina/carbon composite films via anodization.
- To optimize anodization parameters for high carbon content.
- To characterize the properties of the resulting films.
Main Methods:
- Anodization of aluminum in formic acid and sodium vanadate solutions.
- Optimization of voltage/current, pH, and time.
- Characterization using SEM, ellipsometry, EDS, TGA-MS, XPS, and Auger spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Formation of thick, nanoporous alumina/carbon composite films.
- Achieved high carbon content up to 17 at.%.
- Identified both sp2 and sp3 hybridized carbon species.
- Determined an unprecedentedly low bandgap of 1.78 eV.
Conclusions:
- Aluminum anodization in formic acid/sodium vanadate is effective for creating carbon-rich alumina.
- The resulting films possess unique optical properties due to their low bandgap.
- These findings open avenues for applications in optoelectronics and photonics.
