A new route for mass production of uniform metal nanoparticles in water by means of laser light induced processes

J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2011 Mar;11(3):2368-75. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2011.3147.

Abstract

In this contribution, we report a new route for mass fabrication of metal nanoparticles with monodisperse shape and narrow size distribution in water applying exclusively physical processes. For this purpose, we have combined pulsed laser ablation with the technique of selective laser tailoring. For example, pulsed laser ablation from a gold plate in water results in a large amount of nanoparticles with radii in the range of R = 75 nm with a relatively broad size distribution of sigma = 31%. This broad size distribution has been subsequently narrowed in a single irradiation step to sigma = 20% without a significant change of the mean nanoparticle radius utilizing selective laser tailoring. The main advantage of the laser based process, besides rapid processing, is that no chemicals, which are undesired for many applications, are necessary. Hence, mass production of nanoparticles with narrow size and monodisperse shape distribution in water becomes feasible.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Gold / radiation effects
  • Lasers*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Macromolecular Substances / radiation effects
  • Materials Testing
  • Molecular Conformation / radiation effects
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / radiation effects
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Nanotechnology / methods
  • Particle Size
  • Solutions
  • Surface Properties / radiation effects
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Solutions
  • Water
  • Gold