ABSTRACT
The advent of lasers opened a new branch of research of interaction
of radiation with matter. The primary “eye-visible” effect of laser
action on a solid target is removal of some material from the target
surfacewithin the laser spot. This processwas called “laser ablation”
from a Latin word ablatio, which means removal. The process of laser ablation of solids in liquids has attracted
much attention of researches during the last decade. This is due
mainly to the simplicity of the experimental setup. Many modern
laboratories (and not just physical ones) are equipped with lasers,
and synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is a strong temptation. The
process proceeds in one step and results in immediate formation of
NPs in the liquid in which the target is immersed. The main feature
of the process is that ideally the liquid contains only NPs made of
the target material and the liquid. There are no counterions and
no residuals of reducing agents left in the solution. For this reason,
laser ablation of solids in liquids can be considered as a method of
synthesis of NPs, which is an alternative to chemical methods.