Facet-Dependent Formation and Adhesion of Au Oxide and Nanoporous Au on Poly-Oriented Au Single Crystals.

Abstract

Nanoporous Au (NPG) has different properties compared to bulk Au, making it an interesting material for numerous applications. To modify the structure of NPG films for specific applications e.g. the porosity, thickness, and homogeneity of the films, a fundamental understanding of the structure formation is essential. Here, we focus on NPG prepared via electrochemical reduction from Au oxide formed during high voltage (HV) electrolysis on poly-oriented Au single crystal (Au POSC) electrodes. These POSCs consist of a metal bead, with faces with different crystallographic orientations and allow screening of the influence of crystallographic orientation on the structure formation for different facets in one experiment. The HV electrolysis is performed between 100~ms and 30~s at 300 V and 540~V. The amount of Au oxide formed is determined by electrochemical measurements and the structural properties are investigated by scanning electron and optical microscopy. We show that the formation of Au oxide is mostly independent of the crystallographic orientation, except for thick layers, while the macroscopic structure of the NPG films depends on experimental parameters like the Au oxide precursor thickness and the crystallographic orientation of the substrate. Possible reasons for the frequently observed exfoliation of the NPG films are discussed.