ABSTRACT
Nano-sized particles have unique properties compared with bulk
materials due to quantum size effects and surface effects.1−4
Preparation of nanoparticles with the well-defined morphology,
structure, and chemical composition is crucial for achieving their
unique properties that make them attractive for various practical
applications, including microelectronics, medicine, heterogeneous
catalysis, nonlinear optics, and so forth.5,6 Depending on the size
range, shape, and chemical composition of nanoparticles, different
techniques are used for producing such samples. Among them
are wet chemical processes, physical methods, and combined
techniques. Recently, pulsed laser ablation (PLA) of solid samples
submerged in liquid has been shown to have a great potential for
fabrication of nanoparticles.7−11 Compared with PLA in a vacuum or gas environment, PLA in a liquid medium has the advantage of
preparing nanoparticles without using large-scale vacuum appara-
tus (laser ablation is performed in liquid at atmospheric pressure),
maintaining the stoichiometric ratio of the chemical components in
the resulting product, and providing the capability of the synthesis
of nanoparticles of different compounds, as a function of nature
of the solution and the sample material. Unlike the arc discharge
method, which requires electrically conducting electrodes, PLA in
liquids can be applied universally for an almost unlimited variety of
materials, including metals, semiconductors, and insulators as well
as different kinds of liquids.
