Nano-structured particles production using pulsed laser ablation of gold plate in supercritical CO2

The Anomalous Behavior of Thermodynamic Parameters in the Three Widom Deltas of Carbon Dioxide-Ethanol Mixture

Using molecular dynamics, we demonstrated that in the mixture of carbon dioxide and ethanol (25% molar fraction) there are three pronounced regions on the p-T diagram characterized by not only high-density fluctuations but also anomalous behavior of thermodynamic parameters. The regions are interpreted as Widom deltas. The regions were identified as a result of analyzing the dependences of density, density fluctuations, isobaric thermal conductivity, and clustering of a mixture of carbon dioxide and ethanol in a wide range of pressures and temperatures. Two of the regions correspond to the Widom delta for pure supercritical carbon dioxide and ethanol, while the third region is in the immediate vicinity of the critical point of the binary mixture. The origin of these Widom deltas is a result of the large mixed linear clusters formation.

Synthesis of Metal Nanostructures Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: A Green and Upscalable Process

Metallic nanostructures have numerous applications as industrial catalysts and sensing platforms. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂ ) is a green medium for the scalable preparation of nanomaterials. Supercritical fluid reactive deposition (SFRD) and other allied techniques can be employed for the mass production of metal nanostructures for various applications. The present article reviews the recent reports on the scCO₂ -assisted preparation of zero-valent metal nanomaterials and their applications. A brief description of the science of pure supercritical fluids, especially CO₂ , and the basics of binary mixtures composed of scCO₂ and a low volatile substance, e.g., an organometallic precursor are presented. The benefits of using scCO₂ for preparing metal nanomaterials, especially as a green solvent, are also being highlighted. The experimental conditions that are useful for the tuning of particle properties are reviewed thoroughly. The range of modifications to the classical SFRD methods and the variety of metallic nanomaterials that can be synthesized are reviewed and presented. Finally, the broad ranges of applications that are reported for the metallic nanomaterials that are synthesized using scCO₂ are reviewed. A brief summary along with perspectives about future research directions is also presented.

Carbon coated TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by pulsed laser ablation in liquid, gaseous and supercritical CO2

We report on the synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles using nanosecond pulse laser ablation of titanium in liquid, gaseous and supercritical CO2. The produced particles were observed to be mainly anatase-TiO2 with some rutile-TiO2. In addition, the particles were covered by a carbon layer. Raman and x-ray diffraction data suggested that the rutile content increases with CO2 pressure. The nanoparticle size decreased and size distribution became narrower with the increase in CO2 pressure and temperature, however the variation trend was different for CO2 pressure compared to temperature. Pulsed laser ablation in pressurized CO2 is demonstrated as a single step method for making anatase-TiO2/carbon nanoparticles throughout the pressure and temperature ranges 5-40 MPa and 30 °C-50 °C, respectively.

Chemistry in supercritical fluids for the synthesis of metal nanomaterials

The supercritical flow synthesis of metal nanomaterials is sustainable and scalable for the efficient production of materials.

Laser Synthesis and Processing of Colloids: Fundamentals and Applications

Driven by functionality and purity demand for applications of inorganic nanoparticle colloids in optics, biology, and energy, their surface chemistry has become a topic of intensive research interest. Consequently, ligand-free colloids are ideal reference materials for evaluating the effects of surface adsorbates from the initial state for application-oriented nanointegration purposes. After two decades of development, laser synthesis and processing of colloids (LSPC) has emerged as a convenient and scalable technique for the synthesis of ligand-free nanomaterials in sealed environments. In addition to the high-purity surface of LSPC-generated nanoparticles, other strengths of LSPC include its high throughput, convenience for preparing alloys or series of doped nanomaterials, and its continuous operation mode, suitable for downstream processing. Unscreened surface charge of LSPC-synthesized colloids is the key to achieving colloidal stability and high affinity to biomolecules as well as support materials, thereby enabling the fabrication of bioconjugates and heterogeneous catalysts. Accurate size control of LSPC-synthesized materials ranging from quantum dots to submicrometer spheres and recent upscaling advancement toward the multiple-gram scale are helpful for extending the applicability of LSPC-synthesized nanomaterials to various fields. By discussing key reports on both the fundamentals and the applications related to laser ablation, fragmentation, and melting in liquids, this Article presents a timely and critical review of this emerging topic.

Pulsed Laser Ablation-Induced Green Synthesis of TiO2 Nanoparticles and Application of Novel Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Technique for Nanoparticle Size and Size Distribution Analysis

This paper aims to introduce small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) as a promising technique for measuring size and size distribution of TiO₂ nanoparticles. In this manuscript, pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL) has been demonstrated as a quick and simple technique for synthesizing TiO₂ nanoparticles directly into deionized water as a suspension from titanium targets. Spherical TiO₂ nanoparticles with diameters in the range 4-35 nm were observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed highly crystalline nanoparticles that comprised of two main photoactive phases of TiO₂: anatase and rutile. However, presence of minor amounts of brookite was also reported. The traditional methods for nanoparticle size and size distribution analysis such as electron microscopy-based methods are time-consuming. In this study, we have proposed and validated SAXS as a promising method for characterization of laser-ablated TiO₂ nanoparticles for their size and size distribution by comparing SAXS- and TEM-measured nanoparticle size and size distribution. SAXS- and TEM-measured size distributions closely followed each other for each sample, and size distributions in both showed maxima at the same nanoparticle size. The SAXS-measured nanoparticle diameters were slightly larger than the respective diameters measured by TEM. This was because SAXS measures an agglomerate consisting of several particles as one big particle which slightly increased the mean diameter. TEM- and SAXS-measured mean diameters when plotted together showed similar trend in the variation in the size as the laser power was changed which along with extremely similar size distributions for TEM and SAXS validated the application of SAXS for size distribution measurement of the synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles.

In situ multipurpose time-resolved spectrometer for monitoring nanoparticle generation in a high-pressure fluid

We developed a multipurpose time-resolved spectrometer for studying the dynamics of nanoparticles generated by pulsed-laser ablation (PLA) in a high-pressure fluid. The apparatus consists of a high-pressure optical cell and three spectrometers for in situ measurements. The optical cell was designed for experiments at temperatures up to 400 K and pressures up to 30 MPa with fluctuations within ±0.1% h(-1). The three spectrometers were used for the following in situ measurements at high pressures: (i) transient absorption spectrum measurements from 350 to 850 nm to investigate the dynamics of nanoparticle generation from nanoseconds to milliseconds after laser irradiation, (ii) absorption spectrum measurements from 220 to 900 nm to observe the time evolution of nanoparticles from seconds to hours after laser ablation, and (iii) dynamic light scattering measurements to track nanoparticles with sizes from 10 nm to 10 μm in the time range from seconds to hours after laser ablation. By combining these three spectrometers, we demonstrate in situ measurements of gold nanoparticles generated by PLA in supercritical fluids. This is the first report of in situ time-resolved measurements of the dynamics of nanoparticles generated in a supercritical fluid.