Chapter 11 - Laser-Induced Heating Synthesis of Hybrid Nanoparticles

Abstract

Hybrid nanoparticles (HNs) play a very important role in nanoscience and nanotechnology and therefore have become a topic of intense research in recent years. This is due to the special physical and chemical properties of these materials that open new avenues in advanced applications. In the field of catalytic applications bi- and trimetallic HNs are more highly efficient than monometal nanoparticles (NPs). Having so many advantages, there is still no general method for reliable synthesis of multimetallic core–shell or alloy HNs. There is a strong need for the development of new HNs based on plasmonic materials, aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), and gold (Au), that enables the physical trapping of a wide variety of analyte molecules, and therefore combining these three elements we can have wide tunability of LSPR from UV to IR range and hence wide applications. In this chapter a very effective and a versatile one-step method to fabricate multicomponent HNs of various types: Ag–Al rattle-type HNs with hollow cavities, bimetallic (Al2O3@Ag, Al2O3@Au), and trimetallic Al2O3@AgAu HNs using PLAL and post laser heating is presented. This new mechanism of PLAL technique opens new opportunities to develop a large variety of novel hybrid materials with controllable morphology and hence properties.