Speaker
Description
Nanostructured materials with hierarchical architectures are of increasing interest due to their tunable surface properties and enhanced functional performance in catalysis, sensing, and energy applications. For electrochemical applications, in particular, maximizing the accessible surface area while maintaining efficient transport and electrical connectivity is a key challenge. Hierarchical architectures that combine nanoscale porosity with an interconnected three-dimensional (3D) framework offer a promising route to address this challenge. However, achieving a simultaneous control over composition, porous structure, and network morphology remains difficult.
In this work, we present a versatile approach for the fabrication of 3D nanoporous Au nanowire networks (NWNWs) with controlled composition, morphology, and surface characteristics. The NWNWs are synthesized by combining ion-track nanotechnology with electrochemical deposition, using ion-track etched polycarbonate membranes as templates to produce self-supported Au1-xAgx alloy nanostructures with tailored dimensions and interconnectivity. [1,2] Subsequent selective dealloying of Ag enables the formation of nanoporous nanowires with tunable pore sizes, resulting in a hierarchical structure with dual-scale roughness. This structural evolution leads to a substantial increase in specific surface area and surface roughness, reaching values up to ~400 times those of planar electrodes.
We systematically investigate how alloy composition and structural parameters affect dealloying, pore formation, and the resulting morphology, establishing correlations between synthesis conditions, structural hierarchy, and electrochemical functionality. Methanol oxidation is used as a model reaction, demonstrating enhanced catalytic activity of nanoporous NWNWs compared with their solid counterparts. These results demonstrate how template-assisted synthesis combined with controlled dealloying enables hierarchical nanostructures with tunable interfaces and properties, providing a versatile platform for investigating and optimizing structure–property relationships in electrocatalysis and energy conversion.
References
[1] M. Li; RSC Advances, 2023, 13, 4721-4728.
[2] M. Li; Small, 2025, 21(22), 2411971.