Analytical electron tomography, fine structure EELS and nanoscale X-ray CT of nanoporous Copper materials

For systems with a complex morphology, 2D information can be insufficient, which requires tomographic approaches. Together, electron tomography and nanoscale X-ray CT cover the range from 3D sub-nanometer resolution for small sample volumes, up to samples sized several tens of micrometers, and in the electron microscope this information can be coupled with analytical information from associated spectroscopy techniques.
Among advanced modern materials, nanoporous metals (usually represented by nanoporous gold or other noble metals) can form the backbone for various applications, such as catalysis or supercapacitors. Copper is a promising alternative to rare and expensive noble metals due to its cost, redundancy and scalability. Nanoporous Cu materials can be made by electrochemical dealloying[1] where the size of resulting pores is tailored to fit the intended application. Due to its less noble
nature, Cu is more prone to oxidation, and oxide chemistry on the pore surfaces plays a significant role for intended applications. It is therefore imperative to know the morphology and inner surface chemistry of the nanoporous material as well as to be able to assess pore parameters, such as size distribution or local curvatures for scalable pore sizes ranging from 20 to 500 nm, which requires adapting available characterization methods.