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.