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Micro- and mesoporous alumina membranes attract considerable attention in research and industry for wide variety of applications. Electrochemical oxidation of aluminum followed by detachment of the oxide layer is basically considered well suited for the fabrication of micro- and mesoporous alumina membranes. However, common preparation routes include complex work steps, harsh chemicals, excessive rate of material consumption and are limited in scalability, leading to high cost and rare application. Herein, a facile route for the fabrication of nanostructured alumina membranes based on a series of electrochemical process steps is described. The process chain is outlined along representative results and corresponding materials characterization of the resulting alumina membranes. The flexibility of the production route with regard to decisive membrane properties and possible post-treatment steps is demonstrated by way of example. The main advantages in comparison with common processes for the fabrication of micro- and mesoporous alumina membranes are discussed. The described process chain appears promising for both, facile lab scale preparation of tailor-made alumina membranes and large scale fabrication for a wide variety of applications.
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