Effects of ordering quality of the pores on the photoluminescence of porous anodic alumina prepared in oxalic acid

Photoluminescence (PL) of the anodic alumina has been studied and related with quality of hexagonal ordering of the pores. The photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra have been successfully de-convoluted into primarily two sub-bands with peak positions at about 355 and 395 nm and maximum emission at about 450 and 500 nm, respectively; the former being assigned to F+ centers and the latter to the F-centers. A red shift in the PLE takes place, at a given anodizing voltage, when the quality of the hexagonal pore ordering deteriorates with an increase in number density of defects, i.e., pentagons and hexagons with missing pores. The metallic hills at these defects change the curvatures of the metal–oxide and the oxide–electrolyte interfaces that could affect the field distribution and hence the stress-state and other characteristics of the oxide at the defects. This allows a comparatively larger concentration of F centers (395 nm band), causing a red shift in the PLE with increase in defect density.