Electrochemical annealing of nanoporous gold by application of cyclic potential sweeps.

An electrochemical method for annealing the pore sizes of nanoporous gold (NPG) is reported. The pore sizes of NPG can be increased by electrochemical cycling with the upper potential limit being just at the onset of gold oxide formation. This study has been performed in electrolyte solutions including potassium chloride, sodium nitrate and sodium perchlorate. Scanning electron microscopy images have been used for ligament and pore size analysis. We examine the modifications of NPG due to annealing using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry and offer a comparison of the surface coverage using the gold oxide stripping method as well as the method in which electrochemically accessible surface area is determined by using a diffusing redox probe. The effect of additives adsorbed on the NPG surface when subjected to annealing in different electrolytes as well as the subsequent structural changes in NPG are also reported. The effect of the annealing process on the application of NPG as a substrate for glucose electro-oxidation is briefly examined.