Formation of different types nanoporous composite structure by dealloying of Ag and Ni containing Al-Cu-Ti base amorphous precursor alloys

The effect of minor addition of Ag and Ni on the dealloying behavior, nanoporous structure, and electrocatalytic property has been investigated using Al45Cu45Ti10 amorphous precursor alloy. The dealloying kinetics is significantly suppressed due to low diffusion rate and enhanced passivation effect by addition of Ag and Ni. Two different types of nanoporous composite structure are fabricated, nanoporous Cu incorporated with Ag particles and bi-metallic nanoporous Cu-Ni. The resulting multi-component nanoporous composites exhibit improved electrocatalytic property for BH4− oxidation. This study offers a strategy for fabricating nanoporous composites to replace precious metal electrocatalysis.