One-pot, light-induced, liquid crystal-templated synthesis of nanoporous silver films at room temperature

Nanoporous silver (NPS) films, characterized by a 3-dimensional bicontinuous structure of interconnected nanopores and ligaments, have found widespread use in spectroscopy, plasmonics, solar cells, catalysis, and chemical sensing. Traditionally, NPS films are fabricated via chemical dealloying, where a less noble metal (e.g., Cu or Al) is selectively removed through harsh chemical etching. However, residual traces of these metals can adversely affect the performance of NPS thin films in applications such as plasmonics and catalysis. This paper reports a one-pot, liquid crystal-templated method for synthesizing ultrapure NPS thin films at room temperature for the first time. The process begins with the preparation of an LLC composed of a nonionic surfactant and AgNO₃ that is then coated onto solid substrates. Exposure of the LLC film to ultraviolet light facilitates the in situ synthesis of Ag nanoparticles within the liquid crystal film. Subsequent solvent washing removes the surfactant molecules and any unreacted metal ions, yielding NPS films comprised of densely packed Ag nanoparticles on glass substrates. The resulting NPS films feature a 3-dimensional structure with uniformly distributed, interconnected nanopores. Synthesized under ambient conditions and scalable over large areas, these ultrapure NPS films present a highly promising platform for advanced applications in catalysis, spectroscopy, plasmonics, and biosensing.