From liquid metal dealloying to liquid metal expulsion

In liquid metal dealloying, it is assumed that the corrosion product (dealloyed porous solids) is wetted by the liquid metal; otherwise, the dealloying may be halted due to liquid metal expulsion. Here, we report the first observation of liquid metal expulsion in liquid metal dealloying—liquid Ga rushes out of porous C when the dealloying of Mn–C alloy in liquid Ga is complete. On the contrary, similar to all previous reports, liquid Ga is trapped in porous Pb when In–Pb is dealloyed in liquid Ga. It suggests that liquid metal dealloying can proceed although the corrosion product is repelled by the liquid metal. Our study also reveals that the wettability and solid/liquid interface significantly influence the morphology of dealloyed porous structure, which has been largely unexplored in dealloying.