Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ultrafast laser based “green” synthesis of non-toxic nanoparticles in aqueous solutions

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Inorganic nanoparticles offer novel promising properties for biological sensing and imaging, as well as in therapeutics. However, these applications are often complicated by the possible toxicity of conventional nanomaterials, arising as a result of inadequate purification procedures of nanoparticles obtained via synthetic pathways using toxic or non-biocompatible substances. We review novel femtosecond laser-assisted methods, which enable the preparation of metal nanomaterials in clean, biologically friendly aqueous environment (“green” synthesis) and thus completely solve the toxicity problem. The proposed methods, including laser ablation and fragmentation, make possible the production of stable metal colloids of extremely small size (∼2 nm) with a low coefficient of variation (15–25%). Those nanoparticles exhibit unique surface chemistry and can be used for bio-imaging, cancer treatment and nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. P.N. Prasad, Introduction to Biophotonics (Wiley-Interscience, Hoboken, 2003)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  2. I.L. Medintz, H.T. Uyeda, E.R. Goldman, H. Mattoussi, Nat. Mater. 4, 435 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. M. Kerker, The Scattering of Light and Other Electromagnetic Radiation (Academic Press, New York, 1969)

    Google Scholar 

  4. U. Kreibig, M. Vollmer, Optical Properties of Metal Clusters (Springer, Berlin, 1996)

    Google Scholar 

  5. K. Sokolov, J. Aaron, B. Hsu, D. Nida, A. Gillenwater, M. Follen, C. MacAulay, K. Adler-Storthz, B. Korgel, M. Descour, R. Pasqualini, W. Arap, W. Lam, R. Richards-Kortum, Technol. Cancer Res. Treat. 2, 491 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. K. Li, X. Li, A. Stockman, D. Bergman, Phys. Rev. B 71, 115409 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. A.G. Tkachenko, H. Xie, Y.L. Liu, D. Coleman, J. Ryan, W.R. Glomm, M.K. Shipton, S. Franzen, D.L. Feldheim, Bioconjug. Chem. 15, 482 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. C. Loo, A. Lin, L. Hirsch, M.H. Lee, J. Barton, N. Halas, J. West, R. Drezek, Technol. Cancer Res. Treat. 3, 33 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. S. Nie, S.R. Emory, Science 275, 1102 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. M.A. Albrecht, C.W. Evans, C.L. Raston, Green Chem. 8, 417 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. S.J. Cho, D. Maysinger, M. Jain, B. Roder, S. Hackbarth, F.M. Winnik, Langmuir 23, 1974 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. J. Lovric, H.S. Bazzi, Y. Cuie, G.R.A. Fortin, F.M. Winnik, D. Maysinger, J. Mol. Med. 83, 377 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. J. Lovric, S.J. Cho, F.M. Winnik, D. Maysinger, Chem. Biol. 12, 1227 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. M.A. Hyatt, Colloidal Gold: Principles, Methods, and Applications (Academic Press, New York, 1989)

    Google Scholar 

  15. J. Nedderson, G. Chumanov, T.M. Cotton, Appl. Spectrosc. 47, 1959 (1993)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. M.S. Sibbald, G. Chumanov, T.M. Cotton, J. Phys. Chem. 100, 4672 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. M. Prochazka, J. Stepanek, B. Vlckova, I. Srnova, P. Maly, J. Mol. Struct. 213, 410 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  18. A. Fojtik, A. Henglein, Ber. Bunsenges. Phys. Chem. 97, 252 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. A.V. Kabashin, M. Meunier, J. Appl. Phys. 94, 7941 (2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. A.V. Kabashin, M. Meunier, C. Kingston, J.H.T. Luong, J. Phys. Chem. B 107, 4527 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. J.-P. Sylvestre, A.V. Kabashin, E. Sacher, M. Meunier, J. Luong, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 7176 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. J.-P. Sylvestre, S. Poulin, A.V. Kabashin, E. Sacher, M. Meunier, J. Phys. Chem. B 108, 16864 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. J.-P. Sylvestre, A.V. Kabashin, E. Sacher, M. Meunier, Appl. Phys. A 80, 753 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. A.V. Kabashin, M. Meunier, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 182, 330 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. S. Besner, A.V. Kabashin, M. Meunier, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 233122 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. S. Besner, A.V. Kabashin, M. Meunier, Appl. Phys. A 88, 269 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. J. Perriere, E. Millon, E. Fogarassi, Recent Advances in Laser Processing of Materials (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2006)

    Google Scholar 

  28. M. Brust, M. Walker, D. Bethell, D.J. Schiffrin, R. Whyman, Chem. Commun. 7, 801 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. B.L.V. Prasad, S.I. Stoeva, C.M. Sorensen, K.J. Klabunde, Chem. Mater. 15, 935 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. M.P. Rowe, K.E. Plass, K. Kim, C. Kurdak, E.T. Zellers, A.J. Matzger, Chem. Mater. 16, 3513 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. J. Turkevitch, P.C. Stevenson, J. Hillier, Discuss. Faraday Soc. 11, 55 (1951)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. G. Frens, Nat. Phys. Sci. 241, 20 (1973)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. P. Anastas, J. Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice (Oxford University Press, New York, 1998)

    Google Scholar 

  34. J.A. Dahl, B.L.S. Maddux, J.E. Hutchison, Chem. Rev. 107, 2228 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. J.C. Liu, G.W. Qin, P. Raveendran, Y. Kushima, Chem. Eur. J. 12, 2132 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  36. D. Mandal, M.E. Bolander, D. Mukhopadhyay, G. Sarkar, P. Mukherjee, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 69, 485 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. M.N. Nadagouda, R.S. Varma, Green Chem. 8, 516 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. C.W. Wu, B.P. Mosher, T.F. Zeng, J. Nanopart. Res. 8, 965 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laser Processing Laboratory, Department of Engineering Physics, Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, Case Postale 6079, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3A7, Canada

    S. Besner, A. V. Kabashin & M. Meunier

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada

    F. M. Winnik

Authors
  1. S. Besner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. V. Kabashin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. F. M. Winnik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. Meunier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Meunier.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Besner, S., Kabashin, A.V., Winnik, F.M. et al. Ultrafast laser based “green” synthesis of non-toxic nanoparticles in aqueous solutions. Appl. Phys. A 93, 955–959 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4773-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4773-y

PACS

Search

Navigation