Towards tuning the modality of hierarchical macro-nanoporous metals by controlling the dealloying kinetics of close-to-eutectic alloys

Largely inspired by nature, hierarchical porous materials are attractive for a wide range of applications as they provide a unique combination of transport and interfacial properties. Hierarchical macro-nanoporous metals (HMNPM) are of particular interest due to their high thermal and electrical conductivities, high volumetric macroporosity as well as their strong capillary forces, and large surface area due to their nanopores. However, tuning the porosity of HMNPMs remains challenging and often requires complex multi-step synthesis methods. Here we demonstrate that controlling the dealloying kinetics of close-to-eutectic alloys allows the selective tuning of the porosity of a hierarchical metal from tens of nanometers to hundreds of micrometers. This was demonstrated by dealloying the Cu–Mg–Zn alloy of close-to-eutectic composition to develop trimodal hierarchical macro-nanoporous copper with an impressive porosity of 94 vol% in the form of macroscopic self-supporting bulk samples. A combination of dealloying experiments and density functional theory calculations indicate that while selective corrosion of chemical phases in the Cu–Mg–Zn alloy is triggered according to their Volta potential, the kinetics can be altered by confinement and non-homogeneity effects. The obtained insights into the kinetics of close-to-eutectic alloy dealloying can be used to develop other hierarchical porous metals with tunable porosity and controlled shape.