Finite size effects in ordered macroporous electrodes fabricated by electrodeposition into colloidal crystal templates

Ordered macroporous electrodes (OMEs) formed by template synthesis have physical properties that are determined by the template. For colloidal crystal templates, these structures are inverse replicas of the fcc crystal structure with pore dimensions determined by the particle diameter in the colloidal crystal. The dimensions of the solid phase are determined by the interstitial space between the particles in the crystal. Here we demonstrate finite size effects in ordered macroporous gold electrodes. The adsorption of octadecane thiol is used to demonstrate that for structures fabricated from colloidal crystals with particle sizes less than 500 nm the resistance is dominated by surface scattering.