Nanoporous metallic materials for functional applications

Nanoporous metallic materials can be classified as sponge-like bulk solid substances analogous to well known nanoporous zeolites and activated carbon aerogels. They are considered as prototypical manifestation of bulk nanostructured materials. Nanoporous metallic materials possess specific functionalities and exhibit mechanical, chemical and physical properties sensitive to environments. These materials have remarkable tolerance to withstand exposure to extreme environments such as nuclear radiation, temperature and mechanical loads. Nanoporous metallic materials are known to exhibit superior properties as compared to their dense counterparts and micro-porous metallic foams. The present article focuses mainly on the development of nanoporous metallic materials and determination of their specific surface area. It also brings out factors influencing the stability of ligament-porous network in nanoporous metallic materials. These aspects are studied in nanoporous Au as a function of temperature and mechanical load