99.999% Aluminium from Advent Used in Nanoporous Alumina Research

Researchers led by Taipei Medical University in Taiwan used two grades of aluminium supplied by Advent Research Materials to investigate how substrate purity and processing conditions affect porous anodic alumina. The study, published in Results in Surfaces and Interfaces in October 2026, also examined how pore size affected the growth of bone-like cells in laboratory tests.

The research

The team works in nanostructured biomaterials. Their aim was to find a simple, reliable way to grow porous anodic alumina, a form of aluminium oxide covered in tiny, evenly spaced pores, and then see whether pore size affects how cells grow on it. They used MG63 cells, a human bone cancer cell line widely used as a model for osteoblasts, the cells that build bone.

Higher-purity aluminium gave a more even spread of pores, although purity did not significantly change how big the pores were. Heat-treating the aluminium before processing also made the pores more even. In the cell tests, surfaces with larger pores (around 125 nm) gave better growth results than those with smaller pores (around 25 nm). These were laboratory tests on one cell line, so they point to a direction for further work rather than a ready-made bone or implant material.

The science made simple

When aluminium is anodised (treated with an electric current in an acid bath), its surface turns into a layer of aluminium oxide full of microscopic pores, a bit like a honeycomb. Changing conditions such as the voltage, the strength of the acid and the temperature changes the size and evenness of those pores. Here, the researchers grew cells on that honeycomb surface to see which pore size suited them best, with bone and dental materials research in mind.

Advent's role

Advent supplied the aluminium in two grades, 99.999% and 99.5% purity. The researchers found that the 99.999% aluminium produced a more uniform pore structure and used it for the rest of the study.

The organisations involved

The research involved Taipei Medical University and its Shuang Ho Hospital and Wan Fang Hospital, China Medical University, Takming University of Science and Technology and TungHung Dental Clinic in Taiwan, alongside Universitas Mulawarman and Universitas Airlangga in Indonesia. The work was funded by Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology.

High-purity aluminium from Advent

Advent supplies high-purity aluminium foil for research in a range of purities and thicknesses. 

The same 99.999% grade also featured in the aluminium-ion battery research we covered in February. 

Browse our aluminium range or contact the team for a quotation.

Research citation

Huang, H.-Y.; Yeh, C.-Y.; Tani, J.; Lin, W.-C.; Lin, Y.; Anitasari, S.; Budi, H. S.; Shen, Y.-K. Morphological characterisation and cell culture characteristics evaluation of nanostructures on porous anodic alumina. Results in Surfaces and Interfaces, 2026, 25, 101013. DOI: 10.1016/j.rsurfi.2026.101013

Aluminium (99.999% and 99.5%) used in this research was supplied by Advent Research Materials Ltd.