ALD Functionalized Nanoporous Gold: Thermal Stability, Mechanical Properties, and Catalytic Activity

Nanoporous metals have many technologically promising applications, but their tendency to coarsen limits their long-term stability and excludes high temperature applications. Here, we demonstrate that atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be used to stabilize and functionalize nanoporous metals. Specifi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nano letters 2011-08, Vol.11 (8), p.3085-3090
Main Authors: Biener, Monika M, Biener, Juergen, Wichmann, Andre, Wittstock, Arne, Baumann, Theodore F, Bäumer, Marcus, Hamza, Alex V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catalytic activity
Catalytic methods
Coarsening
Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties
Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science
rheology
Electrodes
Energy harvesting
Exact sciences and technology
Gold
Low-dimensional structures (superlattices, quantum well structures, multilayers): structure, and nonelectronic properties
Materials science
Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter
Mechanical properties
Mechanical properties of nanoscale materials
Methods of nanofabrication
Nanostructure
Physics
Surfaces and interfaces
thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
Thermal properties of condensed matter
Thermal properties of small particles, nanocrystals, nanotubes
Thermal stability
Titanium dioxide
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Summary:Nanoporous metals have many technologically promising applications, but their tendency to coarsen limits their long-term stability and excludes high temperature applications. Here, we demonstrate that atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be used to stabilize and functionalize nanoporous metals. Specifically, we studied the effect of nanometer-thick alumina and titania ALD films on thermal stability, mechanical properties, and catalytic activity of nanoporous gold (np-Au). Our results demonstrate that even only 1 nm thick oxide films can stabilize the nanoscale morphology of np-Au up to 1000°C, while simultaneously making the material stronger and stiffer. The catalytic activity of np-Au can be drastically increased by TiO2 ALD coatings. Our results open the door to high-temperature sensor, actuator, and catalysis applications and functionalized electrodes for energy storage and harvesting applications.
ISSN:1530-6984
1530-6992
DOI:10.1021/nl200993g