Effect of electrolyte temperature on the formation of self-organized anodic niobium oxide microcones in hot phosphate–glycerol electrolyte

Nanoporous niobium oxide films with microcone-type surface morphology were formed by anodizing at 10 V in glycerol electrolyte containing 0.6 mol dm−3 K2HPO4 and 0.2 mol dm−3 K3PO4 in a temperature range of 428–453 K. The microcones appeared after prolonged anodizing, but the required time was largely reduced by increasing electrolyte temperature. The anodic oxide was initially amorphous at all temperatures, but crystalline oxide nucleated during anodizing. The anodic oxide microcones, which were crystalline, appeared on surface as a consequence of preferential chemical dissolution of initially formed amorphous oxide. The chemical dissolution of an initially formed amorphous layer was accelerated by increasing the electrolyte temperature, with negligible influence of the temperature on the morphology of microcones up to 448 K.