Metallic membranes of about 2.5 nm thick but with macroscopic lateral dimensions have been successfully fabricated from ultrathin gold nanowires. Such metallic nanomembranes are transparent, conductive and mechanically strong, with an optical transmittance of 90-97%, an electrical resistance of ∼1142 kΩ sq-1, and a breaking strength of ∼14 N m-1 with a typical atomic force microscope probe.
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