Fabrication of nanoporous copper ribbons by dealloying of Al-Cu alloys

Nanoporous copper (NPC) ribbons were synthesized by free corrosion dealloying of Al-Cu alloy ribbons prepared by single-roller melt spinning processing equipment for precursor samples. The components and microstructures of NPC were characterized by utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis. The results show that, the microstructures of the NPC ribbons strongly depend upon the phase constitutions of the starting Al-Cu alloys. In dealloying, Al atoms in the α-Al phase and Al2Cu phase can be easily etched off, resulting in the formation of NPC with a homogeneous porous structure, while the AlCu phase can hardly be eroded. Moreover, etching solution and annealing process also have important effects on the dealloying process and morphology of the NPC ribbons.