Facile fabrication of porous Ag cubes on Cu substrate for Raman Sensor

Ag microcubes with a hierarchical porous structure were successfully prepared by a galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) on Cu foil through a subsequently facile two-step process. Firstly, and most importantly, Cu2O nano cubes which serves as sacrificial template were synthesized by anodic oxidation of Cu using the dilute hydrochloric acid as an electrolyte for the first time. Compared with traditional thermal synthesis method for the Cu2O cubes, the electrochemical method is direct, convenient and cost-effective. Then, the cubic Cu2O covered Cu substrate reacts with AgNO3 and forms porous Ag micro-cubes. The porous Ag with three-dimensional structure is a promising material in Raman Sensor.