Nanoporous copper with nano-scale pore size was synthesized by dealloying Mn-Cu precursor alloy using a free corrosion method.The effects of heat treatment of Mn-Cu precursors on alloy phase,morphology and composition of the resultant nanoporous copper were investigated.It is revealed that the compositions distribute homogeneously in the bulk Mn-Cu precursors,which consequently results in a more fully dealloying for forming nanoporous copper.The alloy phase changes from Cu0.49Mn0.51 and Cu0.21Mn0.79 of non-thermally treated precursor to Cu0.33Mn0.67 of heat treated alloy.The residual Mn content in nanoporous copper is decreased from 12.97% to 2.04%(molar fraction) made from the precursor without and with 95 h heat treatment.The typical pore shape of nanoporous copper prepared by dealloying the precursor without the heat treatment is divided into two different zones:the uniform bi-continuous structure zone and the blurry or no pore structure zone.Nanoporous copper is of a uniform sponge-like morphology made from the heat-treated precursor,and the average ligament diameter is 40 nm,far smaller than that from the non-thermally treated precursor,in which the average ligament diameter is estimated to be about 70 nm. Nanoporous copper with nano-scale pore size was synthesized by dealloying Mn-Cu precursor alloy using a free corrosion method. The effects of heat treatment of Mn-Cu precursors on alloy phase, morphology and composition of the resultant nanoporous copper were investigated. Lt is revealed that the compositions distribute homogeneously in the bulk Mn-Cu precursors, which are results in a more fully dealloying for forming nanoporous copper. The alloy phase changes from Cu 0.49 Mn 0.51 and Cu 0.21 Mn 0.79 of non-thermally treated precursor to Cu 0.33 Mn 0.67 of heat treated alloy.The residual Mn content in nanoporous copper is decreased from 12.97% to 2.04% molar fraction prepared from the precursor without and with 95 h heat treatment.The typical pore shape of nanoporous copper prepared by dealloying the precursor without the heat treatment is divided into two different zones: the uniform bi-continuous structure zone and the blurry or no pore structure zone. Nanoporous copper is of a uniform sponge -like morphology made from the heat-treated precursor, and the average ligament diameter is 40 nm, far smaller than that from the non-thermally treated precursor, in which the average ligament diameter is estimated to be about 70 nm.