Exploring scaling laws of hierarchical nanoporous materials synthesized by additive manufacturing and liquid metal dealloying

• Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Ilya Okulov
• Subject Area: Mechanical Properties of Metallic Materials and their Microstructural Origins
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 568922087

Hierarchical nanoporous materials represent a cutting-edge advancement in material science, offering a paradigm shift from conventional nanoporous structures. Their hierarchical nature endows them with superior functionality such as efficient mass transport and increased accessibility of active sites, contributing to enhanced catalytic and sensing capabilities. The hierarchical porous structures also exhibit improved mechanical strength and structural stability making them ideal candidates for applications demanding robust and lightweight properties. This research project focuses on exploring the hierarchical porous materials synthesized through an innovative approach combining additive manufacturing (or 3D-printing) and liquid metal dealloying. Integrating 3D-printing into the fabrication process introduces yet another dimension to the potential of hierarchical nanoporous materials. The shape freedom of 3D-printing allows for precise control over the architecture and geometry of the hierarchical structures, paving the way for tailoring novel materials with unprecedented functionality. The hypotheses and objectives of the project are provided below. Hypothesis: I. Hierarchical nanoporous materials can be synthesized by combining digitally designed porosity via additive manufacturing with the self-organized porosity via liquid metal dealloying. II. Bulk (industrial scale, cm - dm) and robust (self-standing) nanoporous structures can be synthesized using additively manufactured open porous precursors. Digitally designed um / mm scale porosity in the 3D-printed porous precursor supports elimination of kinetic dealloying limitations. III. The dealloying process and the mechanical properties of the porous samples can be modelled using multiscale approaches. Objectives: (i) To explore the possibilities of combining additive manufacturing and liquid metal dealloying to elaborate hierarchical porous structures with controlled porosity and microstructures. (ii) To model quantitatively the liquid metal dealloying process for the systems under study (TiCu dealloyed in Mg and NbTi dealloyed in Cu) and for arbitrary complex geometries in order to predict the dealloying depth and composition gradients as function of time. (iii) To explore scaling laws for the mechanical properties of hierarchical porous structures by a combination of mechanical tests and numerical simulations relying on the finite element method.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Sylvain Dancette; Dr. Pierre-Antoine Geslin