In-tandem deposition and sintering of printed gold nanoparticle inks induced by continuous Gaussian laser irradiation

By employing continuous Gaussian laser irradiation in tandem with a specifically designed drop-on-demand jetting system, nanoparticle inks were printed and sintered on glass substrate. A toluene solvent is employed as the carrier of gold nanoparticles possessing a lower melting temperature than that of bulk gold. Marangoni flow due to radial surface tension gradient combined with a moving substrate displaces nanoparticle ink in front of and around the laser spot. Experiments were carried out changing incident laser power, focused beam waist, and translation speed, and resulting phenomena at different conditions were explained. Strong coalescence occurred from 9000–14000 W/cm², and a gold line with 8 m of width was demonstrated. PACS 81.16.Mk; 85.40.Ls; 44.10.+i; 47.20.Dr     

Nanocomposite ZnO/Au formation by pulsed laser irradiation

The ZnO/Au nanocomposite formation involves synthesis of Au and ZnO colloidal solutions by 532 nm pulse laser ablation of metal targets in deionized water followed by laser irradiation of the mixed colloidal solution. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images show evolution of spherical particles into ZnO/Au nanonetworks with irradiation time. The formation mechanism of the nanonetwork can be explained on the basis of near resonance absorption of 532 nm irradiation by gold nanoparticles which can cause selective melting and fusion of gold nanoparticles to form network. The ZnO/Au nanocomposites show blue shift in the ZnO exciton absorption and red shift in the Au plasmon resonance absorption due to interfacial charge transfer.     

The fabrication and photo-induced melting of networked gold nanostructures and twisted gold nanorods

Fabrications of both networked Au nanostructured particles and twisted gold nanorods (TGNRs) suspended in water were accomplished via a laser ablation technique. They can be further purified by simple filtration. We conducted the photo-induced melting studies on these two types of nanostructures under both 532 and 1064 nm laser irradiation wavelengths. Both structural changes and their absorption spectral responses are reported. The TGNR sample contains particles with a wide distribution of aspect ratios. Its typical absorption spectrum shows a flat and continuously rising feature to the red of ca. 520 nm, which show a similarity with that of the suspended Au networks. The photo-induced melting processes corresponding to these two types of Au nanostructures demonstrate quite different spectral responses associated with their structural variations. Various observations on the wavelength- and laser power-dependence are presented. Generally, this type of photoannealing results in a formation of spherical shaped particles. Among them, we demonstrate that a spectral ‘hole’ burning can be uniquely achieved in the case of TGNRs suspension after 1064 nm low-fluence laser beam irradiation. Its contribution based on a selective melting will be addressed.     

Optical and electrical properties of black gold layers in the far infrared

Black gold layers, prepared by an evaporation process in an inert atmosphere, are an efficient absorber in the far infrared spectral region. Experimental results are presented for their reflectance in the wavelength range between λ=15 μm and 1000 μm, corresponding to a wave number k=1/λ between 10 cm⁻¹ and 650 cm⁻¹. The black gold layers may electrically be either metallic or semiconducting, the metallic ones exhibiting higher absorbance. The layers have a percolated structure whose dielectric properties are described by the Bergman formalism for an effective medium. On the basis of this model, the deviation of the optical properties of the layers from bulk gold are accounted for solely by the topology of the percolated structure. The values derived for the electron collision time in the gold particles and for the percolation factor agree with those derived from the electrical conductivity of the layers and its temperature dependence.     

Control of plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles via excimer laser irradiation

A significant shift of the surface plasmon resonance absorption spectrum of gold nanoparticles was obtained by the oxidation of the nanoparticle surface via pulsed excimer laser irradiation. The high UV-light absorption of gold nanoparticles chemically produced by citrate reduction led to the important surface oxidation up to 26%. As a result of laser irradiation, the gold/gold oxide core-shell nanoparticles with little variation of the nanoparticle size were produced. After only 5 min of laser irradiation, a 12-nm blue shift in surface plasmon resonance was obtained. The possible mechanisms governing the modification in surface plasmon resonance by laser irradiation of gold nanoparticles were discussed.     

Molecular dynamics simulations on the melting of gold nanoparticles

Molecular dynamics is employed to study the melting of bulk gold and gold nanoparticles. PCFF, Sutton-Chen and COMPASS force fields are adopted to study the melting point of bulk gold and we find out that the Sutton-Chen force field is the most accurate model in predicting the melting point of bulk gold. Consequently, the Sutton-Chen force field is applied to study the melting points of spherical gold nanoparticles with different diameters. Variations of diffusion coefficient, potential energy and translational order parameter with temperature are analyzed. The simulated melting points of gold nanoparticles are between 615～1115 K, which are much lower than that of bulk gold (1336 K). As the diameter of gold nanoparticle drops, the melting point also descends. The melting mechanism is also analyzed for gold nanoparticles.     

One-step synthesis of silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles by electrooxidation of iron in sodium silicate solution

In the present study, solid-solution gold?Cplatinum (Au?CPt) nanoparticles with controllable compositions were fabricated by high-intensity femtosecond laser irradiation of an aqueous solution of gold and platinum ions without any chemicals and complicated processes. Transmittance electron microscopy revealed that the single nanometer-sized particles were fabricated by femtosecond laser irradiation of mixed aqueous solutions of gold and platinum ions. The crystalline structure of nanoparticles was characterized by electron and X-ray diffractions. Contrary to the bulk Au?CPt binary systems, which commonly contain a pair of diffraction peaks between pure gold and platinum peaks because of its large miscibility gap in phase diagram, or mixture of Au and Pt, the diffraction peaks of Au?CPt nanoparticles fabricated in the experiment showed a characteristic of the fcc-type lattice. Moreover, the diffraction patterns shifted monotonically from the peak position of pure gold to that of pure platinum as the fractions of platinum ions in the solution were increased. These observations strongly imply that the Au?CPt nanoparticles were solid solution with intended compositions. This technique is not only simple and environmentally friendly, but also applicable to other binary and ternary systems.     

Effect of gold nanoparticle size on acoustic cavitation using chemical dosimetry method

When a liquid is irradiated with high intensities of ultrasound irradiation, acoustic cavitation occurs. Acoustic cavitation generates free radicals from the breakdown of water and other molecules. Cavitation can be fatal to cells and is utilized to destroy cancer tumors. The existence of particles in liquid provides nucleation sites for cavitation bubbles and leads to decrease the ultrasonic intensity threshold needed for cavitation onset. In the present investigation, the effect of gold nanoparticles with appropriate amount and size on the acoustic cavitation activity has been shown by determining hydroxyl radicals in terephthalic acid solutions containing 15, 20, 28 and 35 nm gold nanoparticles sizes by using 1 MHz low level ultrasound. The effect of sonication intensity in hydroxyl radical production was considered.The recorded fluorescence signal in terephthalic acid solutions containing gold nanoparticles was considerably higher than the terephthalic acid solutions without gold nanoparticles at different intensities of ultrasound irradiation. Also, the results showed that the recorded fluorescence signal intensity in terephthalic acid solution containing finer size of gold nanoparticles was lower than the terephthalic acid solutions containing larger size of gold nanoparticles. Acoustic cavitation in the presence of gold nanoparticles can be used as a way for improving therapeutic effects on the tumors.     

Ash characteristics in controlled diode laser pyrolysis of chlorinated rubber

This paper describes the effects of 60 W High Power Diode Laser (HPDL) beams on the removal of chlorinated rubber (CR) paint from concrete surfaces and the ash particles generated from this process. The physical characteristics, including shape and size distribution of the removed and collected airborne CR particles, down to a size of around 1 μm in diameter, were determined using optical microscopy and image analysis. The shape of the particles observed was highly irregular, displaying no symmetry. The size distribution of the collected particles was found to range between 1–2000 μm, with the maximum concentration being found between 29 and 60 μm. The chemical characteristics of the CR ash particles were investigated by means of ESEM and EDX techniques. From a comparative analysis, it was found that the concentration of chlorine within the CR material was significantly reduced after HPDL treatment. This, together with DTA/TGA results indicated a combustive degradation of the CR polymer through the interaction with the process gas, oxygen, and the laser irradiation. Also, a strong correlation between laser power and average particle sizes has been found, with higher powers generally producing larger particle sizes. Opposite effects have been found by changing the oxygen flow rate, with higher oxygen flow producing, on average, smaller particles. An interpretation of the combustion process, as well as a brief discussion on operational safety and environmental impact of the products is attempted.     

A Novel Ultraviolet Irradiation Technique for Fabrication of Polyacrylamide–metal (M = Au,Pd) Nanocomposites at Room Temperature

Polyacrylamide (PAM)–metal (M = gold, palladium) nanocomposites with metal nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix have been prepared via a novel ultraviolet irradiation technique at room temperature, which is based on the simultaneous occurrence of photo-reduction formation of the colloidal metal particles and photo-polymerization of the acrylamide (AM) monomer. The UV–vis absorption spectra and TEM were employed to characterize the M-PAM nanocomposites by different irradiation times. The average sizes of the colloidal gold and palladium particles dispersed in the nanocomposites were calculated by XRD patterns and TEM images. The present method may be extended to prepare other metal–polymer hybrid nanocomposite materials.     

Laser-induced growth and reformation of gold and silver nanoparticles

The sizes, shapes, and growth rates of gold and silver nanoparticles stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone in water can be controlled by using picosecond laser pulses. The nucleation of small metal clusters formed with NaBH₄ addition to produce nanoparticles takes two months with aging but 30 min with laser irradiation. Laser pulses can also induce nanoparticles to have narrow size and shape distribution or to undergo aggregation into much larger particles. The latter process is more likely found when the metal is silver or the irradiation wavelength is short. Laser-induced growth and shape transformation processes are explained in terms of BH₄ ⁻ depletion, metal fusion, and electron ejection followed by disintegration.     

Phase transitions and kinetic properties of gold nanoparticles confined between two-layer graphene nanosheets

The thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors of gold nanoparticles confined between two-layer graphene nanosheets (two-layer-GNSs) are examined and investigated during heating and cooling processes via molecular dynamics (MD) simulation technique. An EAM potential is applied to represent the gold–gold interactions while a Lennard–Jones (L–J) potential is used to describe the gold–GNS interactions. The MD melting temperature of 1345 K for bulk gold is close to the experimental value (1337 K), confirming that the EAM potential used to describe gold–gold interactions is reliable. On the other hand, the melting temperatures of gold clusters supported on graphite bilayer are corrected to the corresponding experimental values by adjusting the ε_Au–C value. Therefore, the subsequent results from current work are reliable. The gold nanoparticles confined within two-layer GNSs exhibit face center cubic structures, which is similar to those of free gold clusters and bulk gold. The melting points, heats of fusion, and heat capacities of the confined gold nanoparticles are predicted based on the plots of total energies against temperature. The density distribution perpendicular to GNS suggests that the freezing of confined gold nanoparticles starts from outermost layers. The confined gold clusters exhibit layering phenomenon even in liquid state. The transition of order–disorder in each layer is an essential characteristic in structure for the freezing phase transition of the confined gold clusters. Additionally, some vital kinetic data are obtained in terms of classical nucleation theory.     

激光诱导玻璃内部金纳米颗粒的析出及光谱

使用钛宝石飞秒激光引发和热处理相结合，实现了在含有金离子的硅酸盐玻璃内部，有空间选择性地析出金纳米颗粒。对吸收光谱的研究表明，随着热处理温度的升高，吸收峰强度增大且红移；随着激光功率密度的增大，金纳米颗粒也增大。在特定的激光和热处理条件作用下，可以在玻璃内部有空间选择性的使金离子还原后聚集，形成金纳米颗粒，具有量子尺寸效应。改变激光功率和热处理温度可以控制所析出的金属纳米粒子的尺寸，从而实现多色显示，飞秒激光诱导金纳米颗粒具有稳定性，颜色具有持久性。     

Pulsed spark-discharge assisted synthesis of colloidal gold nanoparticles in ethanol

A green method, using pulsed spark-discharge (PSD) to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in ethanol, is studied in this article. Unlike conventional methods for metal nanoparticles synthesis, the PSD method does not require the addition of chemical surfactants and stabilizers. The size of PSD–AuNPs is examined by transmission electron microscopy, with a range 5–50 nm. The chemical compounds, crystal structure, and surface plasmon resonance of PSD–AuNPs are studied using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV–Visible spectroscopy, respectively. Zeta potential analysis shows that a negative charge (−40 mV) on the surface of the PSD–AuNPs may be contributing to the stability of the suspension. During the gold electrodes discharge in the ethanol, under an intensive electric field and thermal energy, bulk metallic gold and ethanol may produce AuNPs and varieties of chemical derivatives, which are also studied by GC/MS and FTIR to investigate the suspension mechanism. The analysis results show that there is an oxidation reaction of ethanol occurring during the PSD process to produce ethanol derivatives, such as acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and ethyl acetate, which may modify the surface of AuNPs by coordination of oxygen atoms. However, only acetic acid can form a negative charge by the deprotonation of the carboxylic group of surface in ethanol, resulting in the creation of a repulsion force between the particles to form the stable colloid system. The experimental results indicate that PSD is an alternative green process to synthesize gold nanoparticles suspension in ethanol. Moreover, with a gold rod consumption rate of 15 mg/L, concentrations of gold nanoparticles ~9 ppm have been observed; therefore, the net production rate is around 60%.     

Electrical characterization of Schottky diodes based on boron doped homoepitaxial diamond films by conducting probe atomic force microscopy

A large planar tungsten carbide (WC) Schottky diode on p-type homoepitaxial diamond was mainly investigated on a microscopic level by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and conducting probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM), allowing simultaneous topographic and local electrical resistance imaging measurements. These techniques revealed the existence of a specific microstructure on the WC Schottky contact consisting of electrically insulating islands surrounded by conductive paths. The islands are found to be insulating in the whole range of explored bias [−5 V, +5 V], whereas the current flowing between the islands is 1000 times lower at a reverse bias of −5 V than at a forward bias of +5 V, in agreement with the rectifying ratio found from macroscopic current–voltage (I–V) measurements. CP-AFM provides a prospective imaging tool which is well suited for analyzing the local electrical properties and instabilities of Schottky junctions.     

Plasmon resonance modulated photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy of diindenoperylene organic semiconductor thin film

In a comparison between a bare diindenoperylene (DIP) film and a DIP film spin-coated with a layer of gold nanoparticles, we have investigated the influence of plasmon resonances in the gold particles on spectroscopic properties of the molecular film. Under off-resonant excitation with a laser at 633 nm, the bare DIP film showed only weak photoluminescence (PL) and Raman signals, but after spin-coating gold nanoparticles on such a DIP film, we found an enhancement of both the PL and Raman signals by a factor of about 3, whereas no enhancement could be observed when the same sample was excited with laser light of 488 nm. This difference reveals that at 633 nm, plasmon resonances in the gold nanoparticles are excited, leading in turn to an enhancement of PL and Raman signals of the weakly absorbing DIP film via coupling between plasmons in the gold particles and exciton-polaritons in the molecular film. For the laser at 488 nm, due to a much larger absorption coefficient of DIP, excitons in the molecular film are directly excited, out-weighing the influence of an off-resonant coupling to the plasmon resonances in the gold particles occurring at much lower energy.     

Synthesis of nanosized particles during laser ablation of gold in water

In this paper we report the formation of gold nanoparticles during laser ablation of gold target in water in the absence of any additives. The experiments were carried out by using the radiation of the pulsed Nd:YAG laser, operating at the second (532 nm, 10 ns, 10 Hz), or the fourth harmonic (266 nm) wavelengths. The properties of the nanoparticles were found to be susceptible to the additional 532 and 266 nm laser irradiation. It has been established that both the mean size of the nanoparticles and their stability could be varied by proper selection of the parameters of laser ablation and postirradiation such as laser fluence and wavelength combinations.     

Size Controlled Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles using Photochemically Prepared Seed Particles

Gold nanoparticles having prechosen size ranging from 5 to 110 nm have been prepared in two steps. Firstly, small spherical particles (seed) of average diameters between 5 and 20 nm were prepared by varying the ratio of gold ion concentration to stabilizer/reductant, TX-100 concentration and using UV irradiation. Secondly, 20–110 nm particles were formed by a non-iterative seed-mediated growth where small particles produced by the above irradiation technique were exploited as seeds and fresh Au(III) ions were reduced onto the surface on the seed particles by ascorbic acid. The kinetics of particle formation has also been reported. These methods were fast and showed improved monodispersity sphericity and excellent reproducibility.     

Synthesis of composite gold/tin-oxide nanoparticles by nano-soldering

Composite Au–SnO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized by nano-soldering of pure Au and SnO₂ NPs. The multi-step process involves synthesis of pure Au and SnO₂ NPs separately by nanosecond pulse laser ablation of pure gold and pure tin targets in deionized water and post-ablation laser heating of mixed solution of Au colloidal and SnO₂ colloidal to form nanocomposite. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) were used to study the effect of laser irradiation time on morphology of the composite Au–SnO₂ NPs. The spherical particles of 4 nm mean size were obtained for 5 min of post-laser heating. Increased mean size and elongated particles were observed on further laser heating. UV–vis spectra of Au–SnO₂ nanocomposites show red shift in the plasmon resonance absorption peak and line shape broadening with respect to pure Au NPs. The negative binding energy shift of Au 4f_7/2 peak observed in X-ray Photoelectron Spectra (XPS) indicates charge transfer in the nano-soldered Au–SnO₂ between gold and tin oxide and formation of soldered nanocomposite.     

Determination of absorption length of CO2 and high power diode laser radiation for ordinary Portland cement and its influence on the depth of melting

The laser beam absorption lengths of CO₂ and a high power diode laser (HPDL) radiation for concrete have been determined. By employing Beer–Lambert’s law the absorption lengths for concrete of CO₂ and a HPDL radiation were 470±22 μm and 177±15 μm, respectively. Indeed, this was borne out somewhat from a cross-sectional analysis of the melt region produced by both lasers which showed melting occurred to a greater depth when the CO₂ laser was used.