Impact of viscosity of liquid on nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation in liquid: An experimental and theoretical investigation

Pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) has gained popularity over time as an efficient method for fabrication of nanoparticles (NPs). This method depends on laser-induced dynamics at the solid–liquid interface, which is influenced by the experimental parameters. Hence, it becomes necessary to study the effect of various parameters for efficient synthesis of NPs and better control over their properties. The present study elucidates the role of liquid ambient in determining the properties of NPs. The effect of viscosity on the size of NPs is studied by conducting experiments in three liquids, viz., Distilled water (DW), propylene glycol (PG), and glycerol (GOL). This study uncovers that size of NPs significantly depends on the viscosity of liquid. The size of NPs is measured to be 35, 52, and 65 nm for DW, PG, and GOL, respectively. The dynamical processes of PLAL were probed using optical beam deflection technique with an attempt to connect the NPs size distribution to the bubble size in respective liquid. Maximum cavitation bubble radius was estimated to be 2.02, 1.85, and 1.45 mm for DW, PG, and GOL, respectively. Laser-produced craters were studied to know their effect on surface morphology. Theoretical calculation of the binding energies of PG and GOL complement the experimental results. This series of studies performed in the present work will further enhance the control over NPs during PLAL.