Production of Cu/Ag Porous Bimetal by the Galvanic Replacement of Dezincified Brass

The production of Cu/Ag nano-bimetals for the CO2 reduction on a catalytically active cathode is studied according to the following scheme: the formation of porous copper as a result of selective anodic dezincification of Cu–Zn alloy in an H2SO4 solution and deposition of silver nanostructures by the galvanic replacement. It is shown that the nanosized dendritic formations of silver (70–100 nm) are deposited on the surface of nanoporous copper in a 0.01 M AgNO3 solution in the ultrasound field. It is shown that the main factor of influence on the morphology of the reduced silver on porous copper is the duration of the galvanic replacement. It is also demonstrated that the electrodes with porous Cu/Ag nanosurfaces are characterized by a much higher catalytic activity as compared with brass foil and porous copper.