Anodic routes to nanoporous materials

The formation and application of nanoscale materials is revolutionising many industrial sectors. The unique properties and functionality offered at this length scale are attractive and the demand for new materials and new production routes is high. This challenging field of research incorporates materials science, engineering and advanced characterisation techniques. The range of materials that are produced at the nanoscale is increasing rapidly; this review will focus specifically on the generation of nanoporous materials from anodic electrochemical routes. The method of dealloying as a route to the formation of nanoporous materials in terms of the processing, alteration and potential applications will be discussed. Factors such as alloy composition, electrolyte and applied potential are all seen to be critical factors on the resultant morphology. This method will then be compared with other available electrochemical routes to form nanoporous materials. It is seen that irrespective of the synthesis employed, the manufacturing method plays an important role on the characteristics of the pore formation in terms of the resultant morphologies and the properties they exhibit.