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International audienceThe influence of a reactive atmosphere on the formation of nanoparticles (NPs) in the plasma plume generated by nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation of metal targets (Ti, Al, Ag) was probed in-situ using Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). Air and different O2-N2 gas mixtures were used as reactive gas within atmospheric pressure. SAXS results showed the formation of NPs in the plasma-plume with a mean radius varying in the 2-5 nm range. A decrease of the NPs size with increasing the O2 percentage in the O2-N2 gas mixture was also showed. Ex-situ observations by transmission electron microscopy and structural characterizations by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were also performed for powders collected in experiments done using air as ambient gas. The stability of the different metal oxides is discussed as being a key parameter influencing the formation of NPs in the plasma-plume (E-MRS 2015 Spring Meeting Symposium CC: “Laser and plasma processing for advanced applications in material science”, 11-15 May 2015, Lille (France