Fabrication and characterization of monolithic nanoporous copper through chemical dealloying of Mg–Cu alloys

A new Mg–Cu system has been developed to fabricate monolithic nanoporous copper (NPC) ribbons and bulk NPC through chemical dealloying in a 5 wt.% HCl solution. The microstructures of the NPC ribbons were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The results show that the compositions of the melt-spun Mg–Cu alloys have an important effect on the dealloying process and microstructures of the NPC ribbons. Moreover, the synergetic dealloying of Mg2Cu and MgCu2 in two-phase Mg–Cu alloys results in the formation of NPC with a uniform porous structure.