Laser-induced deposition of metal and hybrid metal-carbon nanostructures

Abstract

This chapter considers the problem of laser-matter interaction in the sense of laser-initiated chemical processes and subsequent formation of solid nanostructured materials. The main attention is focused to the effects originated as a result of laser impact onto heterogenic systems such as ‘solid-liquid’ interfaces, and in particular for the case when the chemical activity of the heterogenic system as a whole is mainly determined by the laser-induced effects in liquid phase. That is why all the issues connected to the laser ablation phenomena are out of the chapter scope. Heterogenic systems (substrate-solution interfaces) are extremely curious targets for the laser irradiation because of a much wider diversity of chemical processes as compared with homogeneous systems (solutions or solids). Another peculiarity of the selected system is the possibility of the chemical activity tuning by selecting either photochemical or thermochemical mode of laser exposure. This laser-induced approach proved to be efficient for one-step formation of the metal and hybrid metal-carbon nanostructures on the surface of the various kinds of substrates. The peculiarities of the laser-induced processes for the case of different solutions (electrolyte solutions or solutions of organometallic complexes) and different regimes of laser irradiation (thermal or photo-induced) are considered; as well as the possibility of the directed control of the composition of the deposited nanostructures is presented. It is important to note that the essential advantage of the laser-induced processes under discussion is the spatial control of the deposited structures that are formed in the laser-affected area of the substrate. The last circumstance together with well controlled composition and morphology ensure diverse functional properties of the laser-deposited nanostructures.