Synthesis of gold nanoparticles by laser ablation of an Au foil inside and outside ionic liquids

Stable gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were prepared by simple laser ablation of an Au foil placed inside or outside four ionic liquids (ILs), without the addition of any external chemical reagent. Irregular spherical AuNPs with a diameter range of 5 to 20 nm were produced after laser ablation of an Au foil located inside or outside the ILs 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMI.BF4), 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMI.PF6) and 1-(3-cyanopropyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ((BCN)MI.NTf2). Additionally, whereas laser ablation inside the IL 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide BMI.N(CN)(2) produced flower-like shaped nanoparticles of about 50 nm in size, ablation outside this IL presented similar results to the others ILs studied, as determined by TEM and UV-Vis. The size and shape of the prepared NPs were related to where NP nucleation and growth occurred, i.e., at the IL surface or within the IL. Indeed, the chemical composition of the IL/air interface and surface ion orientation played important roles in the stabilization of the AuNPs formed by laser ablation outside the ILs.