Fabrication of high-strength duplex nanoporous Cu by dealloying a dual-phase Mg–Cu precursor alloy

Abstract Duplex nanoporous Cu was successfully fabricated by dealloying a dual-phase Mg–Cu precursor alloy consisting of intermetallic Mg2Cu and MgCu2. The duplex nanoporous Cu with embedded nanoporous struts exhibited highly enhanced strength compared to the typical monolithic nanoporous Cu under both compressive and flexural test conditions at room temperature; the duplex np-Cu sample exhibited a 12 times higher compressive strength and a 40 times greater flexural strength than the monolithic np-Cu sample. Factors responsible for the strength enhancement in the duplex nanoporous Cu are discussed.