Sacrificial-Template-Assisted Syntheses of Aluminate and Titanate Nanonets via Interfacial Reaction Growth

Crystalline FeAlO₃/FeAl₂O₄ nanonets were synthesized by a modified template-assisted approach using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as a reactive and sacrificial template to direct and promote interfacial reaction growth (IRG). The as-prepared nanonets replicate the morphology of the porous AAO template and contain mixed FeAlO₃ and FeAl₂O₄. To extend the applicability of the sacrificial-template-assisted IRG approach, porous anodic titanium oxide (ATO) was used as template in place of AAO, giving rise to Zn₂TiO₄ nanonet/nanotube and PbTiO₃ nanonet/nanotube. These latter products are polycrystalline due to the polycrystalline nature of the ATO template. Growth mechanism for the formation of the Zn₂TiO₄ and PbTiO₃ nanostructures is proposed. The present study shows that the IRG approach can be extended to fabricate patterned complex oxide nanomaterials that may find applications in a wide range of nanotechnologies such as electronics, photonics and spintronics.