The use of Reactive Ion Etching for obtaining “free” silica nano test tubes

Silica nano test tubes are one-dimensional inorganic nanostructures with several biotechnological applications including biosensing, magnetic resonance imaging, and targeted cancer therapeutics. They are generally prepared by sol-gel deposition of silica to nanoporous alumina templates. Preparing samples composed of isolated free silica nano test tubes can be a challenging process due to the conformal coating of silica on the template. This causes the formation of a top-surface silica layer which laterally connects the nano test tubes. Herein, we detailed the use of Reactive Ion Etching to remove this top-surface silica layer which yields free silica nano test tubes with template dissolution. Compared with the mechanical polishing approach, Reactive Ion Etching treatment allows a fine manipulation ability of the surface material at the nanoscale level. When used excessively, Reactive Ion Etching causes an orifice closing phenomenon that may be employed to create novel one-dimensional nanocapsules.