This paper presents the results of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) production by infrared laser ablation of a graphite or a polycrystalline diamond target, submersed in one of two solvents, water or isopropanol. The targets were irradiated using a SPI fibre laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm being operated at different average powers. After laser-assisted synthesis of CNPs, the resulting colloids, i.e, particles in a liquid medium, were examined using the analytical techniques of dynamic light scattering, UV-Vis, Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy.The results show that the properties of CNPs strongly depend on processing conditions of the Liquid PhasePulsed Laser Ablation (LP-PLA) process. In particular, the size of nanoparticles produced are affected by the processing parameters of the laser ablation. The results show that the laser processing of a graphite target in deionised water and in isopropanol produces carbon nanoparticles with properties that are beneficial for various biochemical and biomedical applications.

A laser system with a wavelength of 1064 nm was used to generate sp2 carbon on the surfaces of nanodiamond particles (NDPs). The modified by microplasma NDPs were analysed using FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectra confirmed that graphitization had occurred on the surfaces of the NDPs. The extent of graphitization depended on the average power used in the laser treatment process. FT-IR analysis revealed that the presence of C=C bonds in all spectra of the laser-modified powder. The characteristic peaks for olefinic bonds were much more intense than in the case of untreated powder and grew in intensity as the average laser power increased. The olefinized nanodiamond powder was further functionalized using aromatic amines via in situ generated diazonium salts. It was also found that isokinetic mixtures of structurally diverse aromatic amines containing different functional groups (acid, amine) could be used to functionalize the surfaces of the laser-modified nanoparticles leading to an amphiphilic carbon nanomaterial. This enables one-step orthogonal functionalization and opens the possibility of selectively incorporating molecules with diverse biological activities on the surfaces of NDPs. Modified NDPs with amphiphilic properties resulting from the presence carboxyl and amine groups were used to incorporate simultaneously folic acid (FA-CONH-(CH2)5-COOH) and 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (FL-CONH-(CH2)2-NH2) derivatives on the surface of material under biocompatible procedures.

There is increasing interest in the use of lasers to modify the wettability of surfaces. Here we report on the use of a 20W nS pulsed IR fibre laser to create strong hydrophobicity on the surface of aluminium sheets. This is unexpected, hydrophobicity is usually associated solely with femto-or pico-second laser processing. At a 20W average power level the area coverage rate is too small for many industrial applications. Further trials using a 800W DPSS laser are described and the ability of this system to change surface wettability at a much higher production rate are indicated. There is little reported literature on surface texturing at higher average power levels. Indications of the productivity, or surface coverage rate, are given.