Electrochemical synthesis, characterisation, and preliminary biological evaluation of an anodic aluminium oxide membrane with a pore size of 100 nanometres for a Potential Cell Culture Substrate

In this study we investigate the electrochemical synthesis and characterisation of a nanometre scale porous anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membranes with a mean pore diameter of 100 nm. The membranes exhibit interesting properties such as controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. These properties can be preselected by adjusting the controlling parameters of a temperature controlled two-step anodization process. The surface features of the nanometre scale membrane such as pore density, pore diameter and inter-pore distance were quantified using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A preliminary biological evaluation of the membranes was carried out to determine cell adhesion and morphology using the Cercopithecus aethiops[African green monkey – (Vero)] kidney epithelial cell line. Optical microscopy, FESEM and AFM investigations revealed the presence of focal adhesion sites over the surface of the porous membranes. The positive outcomes of the study, indicates that AAO membranes can be used as a viable tissue scaffold for potential tissue engineering applications in the future.