Mechanical strength of nanoporous gold fabricated by dealloying

The effect of ligament size on the yield stress of nanoporous Au specimens fabricated by dealloying was investigated by nanoindentation tests. A decrease in ligament size resulted in an increase in the yield stress, and the yield stress of the nanosized Au ligament was much higher than that of bulk polycrystalline gold. It is suggested that the size and surface effects, such as a reduction in the number of defects in grains, are important in strengthening of nanoporous Au.