Characterization of Optical and Structural Properties of Platinum NPs Prepared by Nd: YAG Laser Ablation in Liquid Media

Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) are excellent catalysts for many practical applications [1]. Additionally, because of the potential technological attentions of platinum NPs, the synthesis and investigation of them has been extensively explored during the last decade. The formation of Pt NPs by Q-switched Nd: YAG laser ablation of a platinum target in the polar solvents comprised of distilled water and acetone was investigated. The first (1064 nm) harmonic wavelength, pulse width of 7 ns, repetition rates of 10 Hz, laser fluence of 2 J/cm2, and laser shots number of 6000 pulses was utilized to ablate the Pt plate. The characterization of such NPs in terms of size distribution, shape, optical properties, phase structure, crystalline nature, and molecular structure, as a function of the nature of the liquid were studied by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The interaction of the ablation plasma plume species with the species produced by the liquid decomposition resulted in the formation of spherical Pt and PtO NPs with sizes ranging from 5 nm and up to a maximum diameter of 64 nm. The results evidenced that the properties of NPs were affected by the nature of the liquid including the thermodynamic parameters, as dipole moment, boiling point, and viscosity of the surrounding liquid media. Laser Ablation has become a key technique for the synthesis of NPs with controlled geometry and size, which do not require the use of stabilizers [2].

Keywords:

Pt nanoparticles , Laser ablation , Acetone , Distilled water