Mechanisms of Nanoparticle Generation by Laser Ablation of Thin Films in Liquids

这笔赠款将支持一个良好整合的协作实验？液体环境中金属薄膜和多层短脉冲激光烧蚀中纳米粒子生成机制的计算研究。 控制纳米颗粒生成的关键过程将通过大规模原子模拟和实验进行研究，这些模拟和实验对嵌入普通液体（例如水、丙酮和甲苯）中的薄膜目标进行，并受到短（飞秒到纳秒）激光脉冲的照射。 模拟中揭示的有关激光烧蚀和纳米颗粒形成的高度非平衡过程的详细微观信息将用于指导确保对纳米颗粒尺寸分布、结构和成分进行精细控制的条件的实验探索。照射薄膜内沉积激光能量的空间限制作用以及喷射的烧蚀羽流与液体环境的相互作用是计算和实验中需要研究的关键问题之一。这项研究的结果将为优化实验装置的设计提供指导，以生成结构和成分满足特定应用需求的纳米颗粒。这将使个别研究人员能够为他们的研究项目生产纳米颗粒，这些纳米颗粒在商业上不容易获得，或者如果有的话，成本也很高。具有窄尺寸分布且不含污染物的纳米粒子的产生具有影响许多应用的巨大潜力，包括生物医学研究、先进材料的纳米工程、光电子学和表面催化。罗格斯-卡姆登大学（一所以本科生为主的大学）与弗吉尼亚大学（一所研究型大学）之间的密切互动，将为不同的本科生和研究生群体提供独特的教育机会。

This grant will support a well-integrated collaborative experimental ? computational study of the mechanisms of nanoparticle generation in short pulse laser ablation of thin metal films and multi-layers in a liquid environment. The key processes that control the generation of nanoparticles will be investigated in large-scale atomistic simulations and experiments performed for thin film targets embedded in common liquids, such as water, acetone, and toluene, and irradiated by short (femtosecond to nanosecond) laser pulses. The detailed microscopic information on highly non-equilibrium processes of laser ablation and nanoparticle formation, revealed in the simulations, will be used to guide the experimental exploration of conditions that ensure fine control over the nanoparticle size distribution, structure and composition. The role of the spatial confinement of the deposited laser energy within the irradiated films and the interaction of the ejected ablation plume with liquid environment are among the key questions to be investigated computationally and in experiments.The results of this study will provide guidance for the design of experimental setups optimized for the generation of nanoparticles with structure and composition meeting the needs of particular applications. This will enable individual researchers to produce nanoparticles for their research projects that are not readily available commercially, or if they are, at a great cost. The generation of nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution and free of contaminants has a good potential to impact many applications, including biomedical research, nanoengineering of advanced materials, optoelectronics, and surface catalysis. The close interaction between Rutgers-Camden, a predominantly undergraduate institution, and the University of Virginia, a research-oriented institution, will provide unique educational opportunities to a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students.