Several methods of preparation of porous gold electrodes characterized by the surface roughness from 20 to 2.5 x 10(3) were described. These methods involved thermal decomposition, leaching or dissolution of surface amalgam. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to characterize these electrodes. All these materials displayed porous behavior. EIS allowed for determination of the surface roughness, estimation of the surface area in the pores and the external surface area. Porous behavior was verified in two supporting electrolytes of different solution resistivity, namely 1 M H2SO4 and NaNO3. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.