Colloidal MnOX NPs/Carbon sheets nanocomposite synthesis by laser ablation in liquids

MnOx NPs/C nanosheets composite based colloidal suspensions were synthesized using the laser ablation in liquids technique. The colloids were obtained by ablating a manganese target immersed in a carbon nanosheets suspension, which was previously prepared through laser fragmentation of microsized carbon powder suspended in acetone. The microsized carbon powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDS). The as-obtained nanostructures were characterized by Raman microspectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Raman microspectroscopy results indicate that the composite is constituted by manganese oxide (a mixture of the MnO and Mn3O4 crystalline phases) and carbon. TEM images show that the nanocomposite is composed by manganese oxide nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanosheets. The colloidal suspensions were studied by means of photoluminescence (PL). The two distinct colloidal suspensions (i. e. the carbon nanosheets colloid and the MnOx NPs/C nanosheets composite colloid) show PL. The carbon nanosheets PL is enhanced significantly (in the order of 2.5 times) when the MnOx NPs have been synthesized in the composite. Also, the MnOx NPs provide an intense UV emission to the composite. Several potential applications can be envisioned for this MnOx NPs/C nanosheets composite in the fields of optoelectronics and biomedicine.

Automated summary

In this study, MnOx NPs/C nanosheets composite colloidal suspensions were synthesized by laser ablation in liquids technique. The composite consisted of manganese oxide nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanosheets. Photoluminescence studies revealed that the carbon nanosheets exhibited significantly enhanced PL when combined with MnOx NPs in the composite. Additionally, the MnOx NPs provided intense UV emission to the composite, suggesting potential applications in optoelectronics and biomedicine.