Effect of liquid medium on size and shape of nanoparticles prepared by pulsed laser ablation of tin

The effect of the surrounding liquid medium on the size, shape and optical absorption of synthesized nanoparticles prepared by laser ablation of pure tin in different liquids is investigated. The liquid not only confines the ablated species at the liquid-solid interface, but also it acts as a mediator for chemical reaction at the liquid-solid interface. The liquid media surrounding the target is thus an important factor affecting the shape, mean size, size distribution and composition of the particles. The ablation of tin target was carried out in deionized water, ethanol and acetone medium, leading to formation of tin and tin oxide nanoparticles of various sizes and shapes. Electron microscopy and optical absorption were employed for characterization of the particle size, shape and optical properties, respectively. The effect of surfactant was also studied by carrying out ablation in aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) solution. It was observed that the average particle size and size distribution are considerably reduced by using surfactant.