  Plasmonics applications have been extending into the ultraviolet region of
the electromagnetic spectrum. Unfortunately the commonly used noble metals have
intrinsic optical properties that limit their use above 350 nm. Aluminum is
probably the most suitable material for UV plasmonics and in this work we show
that nanoporous aluminum can be prepared starting from an alloy of Mg3Al2. The
porous metal is obtained by means of a galvanic replacement reaction. Such a
nanoporous metal can be exploited to achieve a plasmonic material for enhanced
UV Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence. Thanks to the large surface to volume
ratio this material represents a powerful platform for promoting interaction
between plasmonic substrates and molecules in the UV.
