title: Laser-ablation-induced synthesis of SiO2-capped noble metal nanoparticles in a single step.
abstract: Here we describe a simple, powerful technique based on the laser ablation of a target immersed in a water solution of a metal salt. With this method, nanoparticles of different metals and alloys can be processed very quickly. Both the target and the salt solution can be chosen to produce metal nanoparticles of different sizes, surface-oxidized nanoparticles (silica-silver, for example), or even more complex structures to be defined by the researcher on one or more steps because the technique combines the advantages of both physical and chemical methods. We have applied this technique to the fabrication of inert silica-metal (silver, gold, and silver-gold) nanoparticles with a strong surface plasmon resonance all together in a single step. The advantage of the simultaneous production of silica during laser ablation is the stabilization of the metal nanoparticle colloid but also the possibility to reduce the toxicity of these nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias de los Materiales, Universidad de Valencia, P.O. Box 22085, 46071 Valencia, Spain. ernesto.jimenez@uv.es
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Kamal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abderrafi
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abargues
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Valdés
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Martínez-Pastor
mesh_terms: D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D007834:Lasers; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D012834:Silver; D006046:Gold; D012822:Silicon Dioxide