Production of Palladium Nanoparticles by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Water and Their Characterization

Nanosized particles of pure palladium were produced by pulsed laser ablation in aqueous solution, with and without the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate as the surfactant agent. The work was motivated by the strong catalytic effect of Pd particles in many chemical reactions. The influence of experimental parameters, such as laser energy and beamfocusing as well as surfactant concentration, on the laser ablation process, nanoparticle mass yield, and nanoparticle properties was investigated via plasma imaging, UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (TEM-EDS) analysis, and measurement of ζ potential. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity of nanoparticles was used for the monitoring of their adsorption capability on the metal surface during catalysis processes.