Investigation of the dealloying front in partially corroded alloys

Nanoporous gold as obtained by corrosion of alloys of gold and a less noble metal is a system with manifold applications. The process of dealloying, however, can result in partially porous samples, when dealloying conditions are not optimized with respect to composition and pre-treatment of the master alloy. In the present work, we investigate the dealloying interface between porous material and non-porous alloy in two samples, in which dealloying either stopped automatically or was interrupted manually. Reasons for unintended termination of dealloying in the former case are suggested.

Automated summary

Nanoporous gold, obtained by corrosion of gold alloys, has diverse applications. However, if the corrosion conditions are not optimized, the dealloying process can lead to partially porous samples. In this study, we investigate the interface between porous material and non-porous alloy in two samples, where dealloying either stopped automatically or was manually interrupted. Possible reasons for unintended termination of dealloying in the former case are suggested.