Colloidal sphere templates and sphere-templated porous materials

A process for colloidal sphere-templated electrodeposition of a porous metal structure at least partially disordered for use in an electrode, comprising:

• a) providing an electrode substrate;
• b) applying a thin layer of tin onto the electrode substrate;
• c) applying a dispersion onto the surface of the substrate, said dispersion being a liquid phase suspension of colloidal particles substantially spherical in shape and have a standard deviation in sphere diameter of greater than about 5%;
• d) removing the liquid phase to form a sacrificial template comprising an array of close packed colloidal spheres defining an interstitial volume, wherein the colloidal spheres are polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate, surface-functionalized polymer, or silica;
• e) electrodepositing a metal plating solution onto the array to form a metallic replica of the array interstitial volume having a pore distribution corresponding to the spheres;
• and
• f) removing the sacrificial template to form said porous metal structure.

A process for colloidal sphere-templated electrodeposition of a porous tin or tin alloy structure at least partially disordered, comprising:

• a) providing an electrode substrate;
• b) applying a dispersion onto the surface of the substrate, said dispersion being a liquid phase suspension of colloidal particles comprising of particles that are substantially spherical in shape and have a standard deviation in sphere diameter of greater than about 5%;
• c) removing the liquid phase to form a sacrificial template comprising an array of close packed colloidal spheres defining an interstitial volume, wherein the colloidal spheres are polstyrene, polylmethylmethacrylate, surface-functionalized polymer, or silica;
• d) electrodepositing a metal plating solution onto the array to form a metallic replica of the array interstitial volume having a pore distribution corresponding to the spheres;
• and
• e) removing the sacrificial template to form said porous metal structure.

A process for the formation of a template, comprising:

• a) providing an electrode substrate;
• b) applying a dispersion onto the surface of the substrate, said dispersion being a liquid phase suspension of colloidal particles comprising of particles that are substantially spherical in shape and have a standard deviation in sphere diameter of greater than about 5%;
• and
• c) removing the liquid phase to form a sacrificial template comprising an array of close packed colloidal spheres defining an interstitial volume.