ABSTRACT

The advent of lasers opened a new branch of research of interaction

of radiation with matter. The primary “eye-visible” effect of laser

action on a solid target is removal of some material from the target

surfacewithin the laser spot. This processwas called “laser ablation”

from a Latin word ablatio, which means removal. The process of laser ablation of solids in liquids has attracted

much attention of researches during the last decade. This is due

mainly to the simplicity of the experimental setup. Many modern

laboratories (and not just physical ones) are equipped with lasers,

and synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is a strong temptation. The

process proceeds in one step and results in immediate formation of

NPs in the liquid in which the target is immersed. The main feature

of the process is that ideally the liquid contains only NPs made of

the target material and the liquid. There are no counterions and

no residuals of reducing agents left in the solution. For this reason,

laser ablation of solids in liquids can be considered as a method of

synthesis of NPs, which is an alternative to chemical methods.