Galvanic Replacement 2D — Hollow Nanobox Cross-Section

This simulator models the nanochemistry reaction behind hollow gold/silver nanoboxes and nanocages, viewed as a 2D cross-section of the silver template immersed in a solution of Au³⁺ ions. Because gold(III) is the stronger oxidiser, electrons flow from the silver lattice to the gold ions: every dissolved silver atom banks one electron, and once three electrons have accumulated, a gold atom is reduced and deposited on the shell — the exact 3 Ag : 1 Au stoichiometry required by the balanced half-reactions. Because only surface-exposed atoms can react, corners and edges dissolve first and the reaction eats inward, hollowing the template into a porous gold shell. A live kinetics chart tracks remaining silver and deposited gold over time alongside the running Ag:Au ratio and interior void fraction. Concentration, temperature and the redox potential gap are all adjustable, each changing the reaction rate the same way it would in a real flask — drag the lattice to pan and scroll to zoom in on the hollowing front.