Soft-Templated Electroless Synthesis of Mesoporous Metal Films on Non-Conductive Substrates

Here, a novel electroless deposition approach is proposed that utilizes the spontaneous assembly of micelles and metal ions on non-conductive substrate surfaces, induced by reducing agents, to fabricate mesoporous Pt (mPt) films. By utilizing the effective interaction between deposited initial nuclei and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), the electroless deposition of mPt is achieved on APTES-modified glass surfaces during chemical reduction. Using this approach, mPt film on 4-inch glass wafers is successfully prepared. Additionally, the potential of this method is explored for fabricating mPt patterns using microcontact printing of APTES. The results demonstrate the successful patterning of 15 µm-wide mPt stripes on glass substrate. This soft-templated electroless approach overcomes the limitations of current electrochemical assembly methods regarding substrate conductivity, shape, and size. Moreover, this electroless reduction strategy is expected to be compatible with various substrates, opening new avenues for researchers to explore applications of mesoporous metal films.