Large-area metal foams with highly ordered sub-micrometer-scale pores for potential applications in energy areas

• Cu and Ni foams with sub-micrometer-scale pores are processed and characterized.
• Electroless plating is applied to the 3D proximity-field nanopatterned polymer template.
• These foams are expected to be utilized as advanced electrodes in energy applications.

Nanoporous metallic foams with an exceptionally high specific surface area can be a perfect solution for advanced energy applications. There have been an increasing number of recent efforts to achieve nanoporous metallic foams, but the latest research has paid much attention to the processing and characterization of noble nanoporous metallic foams (Pt and Au) through the conventional dealloying technique. This study proposes a new and innovative method of processing non-noble nanoporous (sub-micrometer-scale) metallic foams: a technique that combines the conventional electroless plating and three-dimensional proximity-field nanopatterning. Copper and nickel foams with sub-micrometer-scale pores are processed and characterized in this study.