Fine-tuning the feature size of nanoporous silver

Abstract

We show that the characteristic ligament size of nanoporous Ag synthesized by chemical dissolution of Al from Ag–Al alloys can be tuned from the current submicrometer size (∼100–500 nm) down to a much smaller length scale (∼30–60 nm). This is achieved by suppressing the formation of the Ag2Al intermetallic compound in the alloy precursor.