Chemical bath method to grow precipitated nanorods of iridium oxide on alumina membranes

High aspect ratio iridium (IV) oxide nanorods have been successfully grown on a copper thin film by a chemical co-precipitation method. A porous anodised aluminium oxide (AAO) template was implemented to assist the growth of the well aligned and densely packed iridium oxide (IrO2) nanostructures. Nanorods with an aspect ratio of 22 can be synthesised within 45 min. X-ray diffraction measurement unveiled the crucial role of the AAO template in the orientation-aligned growth of IrO2 nanorods along the [110] crystallography direction. The large surface area of IrO2 nanostructures exhibiting a high capacitive property can be utilised in supercapacitors or sensing applications. Owing to the simpler fabrication processes, IrO2 nanorods can be mass produced in a short period of time.