Production of CeO2 Nanoparticles by Method of Laser Ablation of Bulk Metallic Cerium Targets in Liquid

Abstract

The method of pulsed laser ablation in liquid was used to synthesize dispersions of cerium oxide nanoparticles when subjecting a metallic cerium target in water and alcohol to basic frequency radiation of the nanosecond Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm, 7 ns, 20 Hz). Researchers have studied the effect of laser radiation parameters, duration of impact, and optical scheme of experiment on the ablation process. The average rate of nanoparticle production was 50 mg/h in water and 25 mg/h in alcohol. Researchers have studied the size characteristics and crystalline structure of the nanoparticles produced. The particles have bimodal size distribution with 6 nm and 25 nm maximums. The average crystallite size is 17–19 nm. The crystalline structure of nanoparticles, namely cubic cerium oxide (fluorite structure), space group Fm-3m, is confirmed by the X-ray diffraction data, as well as optical absorption spectra and Raman spectroscopy.