An Efficient Template Pathway to Synthesis of Ordered Metal Oxide Nanotube Arrays Using Metal Acetylacetonates as Single-Source Molecular Precursors

(alpha)-Fe2O3 and CuO nanotube arrays were obtained for the first time within the pores of the porous anodic alumina membranes by pyrolyzing Fe(acac)3 (Hacac = 2,4-pentanedione) at 300 °C and Cu(acac)2 at 330 °C, respectively. These nanotubes with an outer diameter of about 100–300 nm and a length of up to tens of microns were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively.