A system for the synthesis of nanoparticles by laser ablation in liquid that is remotely controlled with PC or smartphone

Abstract

Nanoparticles find applications in multiple technological and scientific fields, and laser ablation in liquid (LAL) emerged as a versatile method for providing colloidal solutions of nanomaterials with various composition, by a low cost, simple, self-standing, and "green" procedure. However, the use of high energy and high power laser beams is harmful, especially when coupled with flammable or toxic liquids, and in situ operation is required for starting, monitoring the LAL synthesis, and stopping it at the desired point. Here we describe the hardware and software design and the test results of a system for the production of nanoparticles by laser ablation synthesis in liquid solution (LASiS), which is remotely controllable with a personal computer or a smartphone. In this system, laser energy and solution flux are selectable, and the synthesis status can be monitored and managed at any time off site. Only commercially available components and software are employed, making the whole apparatus easily reproducible in any LAL laboratory. The system has proven its reliability in various conditions, including intercontinental remote control experiments. Overall, this apparatus represents a step forward to improve the safety and to more efficiently exploit the time of people working with LASiS, thus contributing to the increasing demand for off-site real time monitoring of experimental equipment in many scientific and industrial laboratories, due to safety and efficiency requirements.

Kinetically Stable Nonequilibrium Gold‐Cobalt Alloy Nanoparticles with Magnetic and Plasmonic Properties Obtained by Laser Ablation in Liquid

“…To provide a solution to most of the above problems, the laser ablation synthesis in solution (LASiS) has been intensely applied and optimized in the last years, resulting in a large library of nanomaterials, [23–28] that includes various equilibrium and nonequilibrium nanoalloys like Fe−Mn, [29] Ag−Cu, [30] Pt−Cu, [31] Co−Al, [32] Au−Fe, [18,33] Ag−Fe, [34] Ag−Co, [35] as well as ternary, quaternary and quinary systems [36] or high‐entropy alloys [37] . The LASiS is scalable up to g/h of NPs, [38] is amenable of automatization and can be controlled also remotely with a PC or a smartphone, [39] thus reducing all risks connected to the laser sources, harmful or explosive compounds. The use of pure materials in the elemental form (e.g pure bulk metals) and pure liquids such as water, alcohols or acetone are key for the cost‐affordability of the process [40] .…”

Curcumin as a novel reducing and stabilizing agent for the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles

“…Hence, whatever the method used to prepare nanoparticles, various shapes are formed (spheres, rods, flower, sheets, wires, etc.). Among all the techniques found in the literature chemical reduction reaction (1)(2)(3), laser ablation (4)(5)(6) and the use of plants extract (7)(8)(9) are widely used and developed (see Figure 1).…”

Laser‐Assisted Synthesis of Non‐Equilibrium Nanoalloys

“…We specialize in laser‐assisted synthesis in liquid, such as the laser ablation in liquid (LAL) approach. LAL has the advantage of producing a wide range of nanomaterials with a clean surface [1–3] at ambient conditions with a compact set up that can be also controlled remotely with a PC or a smartphone [4] . Importantly, LAL allows accessing nonequilibrium phases, even if they are composed of elements with different redox potentials.…”