Three-dimensional bicontinuous nanoporous materials by vapor phase dealloying

Poring over greener materials

23 April 2018

Japanese researchers have developed an innovative and greener technique for fabricating materials with nanpores, paving the way for their use in catalysts, sensors and energy technologies. 

Nanoporous metals made through a technique called dealloying, which uses corrosion processes to selectively remove a component from an alloy, have attracted considerable attention because of their high electrical and thermal conductivity. However, this method can only be used for a limited number of alloys, and generates waste with a high environmental toll. 

Led by researchers from the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR) in Japan, a team of scientists has now used a technique called vapour-phase dealloying that utilises the vapour pressure difference between solid elements to selectively evaporate a component from an alloy without producing any waste.

The work could lead to new materials for use in a range of applications from catalysts and biosensors to energy conversion and storage technologies.   

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References

1. Nat. Commun., 9, 276 (2018). doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02167-y