Laser-Generated Au Nanoparticles for Bio-Medical Applications

Progress in Laser Ablation and Biological Synthesis Processes: "Top-Down" and "Bottom-Up" Approaches for the Green Synthesis of Au/Ag Nanoparticles

Because of their small size and large specific surface area, nanoparticles (NPs) have special properties that are different from bulk materials. In particular, Au/Ag NPs have been intensively studied for a long time, especially for biomedical applications. Thereafter, they played a significant role in the fields of biology, medical testing, optical imaging, energy and catalysis, MRI contrast agents, tumor diagnosis and treatment, environmental protection, and so on. When synthesizing Au/Ag NPs, the laser ablation and biosynthesis methods are very promising green processes. Therefore, this review focuses on the progress in the laser ablation and biological synthesis processes for Au/Ag NP generation, especially in their fabrication fundamentals and potential applications. First, the fundamentals of the laser ablation method are critically reviewed, including the laser ablation mechanism for Au/Ag NPs and the controlling of their size and shape during fabrication using laser ablation. Second, the fundamentals of the biological method are comprehensively discussed, involving the synthesis principle and the process of controlling the size and shape and preparing Au/Ag NPs using biological methods. Third, the applications in biology, tumor diagnosis and treatment, and other fields are reviewed to demonstrate the potential value of Au/Ag NPs. Finally, a discussion surrounding three aspects (similarity, individuality, and complementarity) of the two green synthesis processes is presented, and the necessary outlook, including the current limitations and challenges, is suggested, which provides a reference for the low-cost and sustainable production of Au/Ag NPs in the future.

Effect of Pd Ions on the Generation of Ag and Au Heterogeneous Nanoparticles Using Laser Ablation in Liquid

Heterogeneous Ag/Au nanoparticles combined with Pd ions were generated by irradiating Ag/Au metal targets in a Pd solution with nanosecond and femtosecond lasers. AgPd and AuPd nanoparticles were generated by laser fragmentation and bonded. We numerically analyzed the hot spots with electromagnetic field enhancement of nanoparticles of different sizes separated by various distances. AgPd and AuPd nanoparticles differing in diameter were generated and showed different characteristics compared to typical core-shell heterogeneous nanoparticles. Pd ions played an important role in the generation of nanoparticles in liquid via laser ablation. The femtosecond laser produced both pure and heterogeneous nanoparticles of uniform size. The nanosecond laser produced pure nanoparticles with a relatively non-uniform size, which developed into spherical heterogeneous nanoparticles with a uniform (small) size in the presence of Pd ions. These nanoparticles could optimize applications such as photothermal therapy and catalysis.