Ag effects on the elastic modulus values of nanoporous Au foams

To study both the effect of Ag and the relative density on the elastic properties of nanoporous Au (np-Au) foams, partially as well as fully dealloyed np-Au samples with various ligament sizes were prepared. Additionally, Ag-coated np-Au samples were synthesized by immersing np-Au in a I M Ag nitrate solution, followed by drying and thermal decomposition of the deposited Ag nitrate salt to Ag, NO(2), and O(2). Cross-sectional analysis revealed that this method yields a homogeneous Ag distribution and that the Ag concentration can be adjusted within the range of 0 to 20 at.%. Mechanical testing was performed by depth-sensing nanoindentation. It was observed that the effect of the relative density on the elastic properties of np-Au seems to be much stronger than predicted by the Gibson and Ashby relationship: Even Ag contents as low as 1 at.% can significantly change the modulus values. On the other hand, the elastic modulus of np-Au seems to be independent of the ligament size.