Size reduction of gold particles in aqueous solution by pulsed laser irradiation

When the gold particles produced by the chemical reduction of hydrogen chloroaurate solution were irradiated by the second harmonic of a pulsed Nd:Yag laser (532 nm), their diameter was reduced from more than several deca-nm to less than 20 nm. At the same time, the shape of the particles, originally nonspherical, became spherical. This phenomenon was limited to pulsed laser, and is caused by the heating of the particles within the very short time of laser irradiation; the very large absorption cross section of the particles at the plasmon absorption and the thermal insulation of the irradiated particles in water should be responsible.