Pulsed lasers can be used in the synthesis of nanoparticles of silver. Silver nitrate solution and a reducing agent are flowed through a blender like device. In the blender there is a solid disk, which rotates in the solution. The solid disk is subjected to pulses from a laser beam creating hot spots on the surface of the disk. This is illustrated in the figure below:
The silver nitrate and the reducing agent react at these hot spots, resulting in the formation of small silver particles, which can be separated from the solution using a centrifuge. The size of the particles is controlled by the energy of the laser and the rotation speed of the disk. This technique is capable of a high rate of production of 2-3 g/min.
Related: How Nanoparticles are produced through Thermolysis
