Formation of gold nanoparticles by laser ablation in aqueous solution of surfactant

Gold nanoparticles were produced by laser ablation of a gold metal plate in an aqueous solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The absorption spectrum of the gold nanoparticles was essentially same as that of gold nanoparticles chemically prepared in a solution. The size distribution of the nanoparticles thus produced was measured by an electron microscope and was found to shift to a smaller size with an increase in surfactant concentration. This behavior is explained in terms of the dynamic formation model. Dependence of the nanoparticle abundance on surfactant concentration in the solution shows that stable gold nanoparticles tend to be formed as the surfactant concentration exceeds 10(-5) M. The gold nanoparticles having diameters larger than 5 nm were pulverized into those having diameters of 1-5 nm by a 532-nm laser.