Laser-Induced "Regeneration" of Colloidal Particles: The Effects of Thermal Inertia on the Chemical Reactivity of...

A size reduction of the suspended particles is observed upon irradiation of colloidal metal solutions by a high-power, pulsed laser, resulting in dramatic changes in their optical properties. The mechanism of change involves rapid production of ions as a consequence of laser heating, followed by diffusion and chemical reduction on a long time scale to form new colloidal particles. The process, by which large particles are differentially consumed relative to small ones, depends on the "thermal inertia" of the particles, which governs the temperature of the particles and hence their reactivity.