Porous metallic films fabricated by self-assembly of gold nanoparticles

Morphology of porous films prepared by self-organization of Au nanoparticles capped with 1-dodecanethiol was investigated as a function of the solvent used and the solution concentration. The pores were formed due to water droplet condensation. The formation of the pore arrays was strongly dependent on the solvent used. Under suitable experimental conditions, the gold nanoparticle films with hexagonally packed micropores can be fabricated from chloroform solutions. The experimental conditions affecting pore formation and pore size regularity are discussed.