Synthesis and properties of palladium nanoparticles by pulsed laser ablation in liquid

Pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) as a prominent technique for nanofabrication was employed to synthesize palladium (Pd) nanoparticles in different liquids. The synthesis of Pd nanoparticles was developed using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with its fundamental wavelength output of 1064 nm (10 Hz, 10 ns) in a range of energy fluence (40.5-8 J/cm2). Pure Pd metal target was immersed in distilled water, methanol-water mixture (1:1) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to study the effect of the nature of the liquid media. Laser post-irradiation and ultrasonic treatments were applied to the precipitated colloidal solution to investigate their effects on the re-dispersion and stability. The mean size, size distributions, shape, elemental composition, optical properties and stability of nanoparticles synthesized by PLAL were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. TEM characterizations showed smaller nanoparticles in methanol-water mixture in comparison with the other liquids. Spherical morphology was observed for Pd nanoparticles synthesized in distilled water and methanol-water mixture. In the case of SDS, spherical nanoparticles embedded on the surfactant were observed. The effect of energy fluence was different for each liquid media. Laser post-irradiation and ultrasonic agitation worked as efficient methods to re-disperse the precipitates of NPs and to recover their optical properties.