Controlling the properties of TiO2 nanoparticles generated by nanosecond laser ablation in liquid solution

Laser ablation of titanium target in distilled water for synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles is studied both experimentally and theoretically. The effects of laser parameters such as wavelength, pulse energy, fluence and shot numbers on the ablation rate and size properties of colloidal nanoparticles are investigated. The experimental approach addresses the interesting issue for finding the optimal main experimental parameters of laser ablation. The theoretical thermal model of nanosecond pulsed laser ablation is developed to visualize the evolution of temperature distributions and ablation depth. The simulation result of ablation depth has been compared with the experimental result obtained by Nd:YAG laser, 1064 nm wavelength, 10 ns time duration and 200 µm spot size on the target. This comprehensive model has good agreement with experimental results and it can overcome the limitations of the experimental investigation technique and improves the pulsed laser ablation rate.