Self-powered electrochemical anodic oxidation: A new method for preparation of mesoporous Al₂O₃ without applying electricity

Anodic oxidization (AO) is one of the most important methods available for fabricating mesoporous Al₂O₃, which can be conducted at either high potential or low potential; however, the need for an external electricity power source limits its applications. In this work, a novel self-powered electrochemical anodic oxidization (SPAO) system was introduced for preparing mesoporous Al₂O₃, by using newly-invented triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) arrays driven by wind power. Using the controllable voltage output of the TENG arrays, the SPAO system was shown to regulate the pore depth and pore size of the mesoporous Al₂O₃. In contrast to traditional AO systems, this technique takes advantage of the high output voltage of TENG arrays without any additional energy costs. In addition, the SPAO system can be used for the preparation of other mesoporous materials.