Fabrication of multilayer Nb_2O_5 nanoporous film by anodization of niobium foils

Multilayer Nb2O5 nanoporous films were successfully synthesized on Nb surfaces by the control anodization process in ethylene glycol containing 4 vol% HF and 2 vol% H2O2 electrolyte. The nanoporous films are characterized in detail by field-emission scanning electron microscopy（FESEM）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, and X-ray diffraction（XRD）. The Nb_2O_5 nanoporous films have a multilayer morphology with the side wall thickness of ～5 nm, irregular pores with a diameter of ～25 nm, and a length of up to 7.39 lm, depending on the anodization time. A mechanism for the multilayer Nb2O5 nanoporous formation was also discussed. These nanoporous materials can be very useful in the fields of solar cells, gas sensors, catalysts, optical filters, and capacitors.