What controls the composition and the structure of nanomaterials generated by laser ablation in liquid solution?

Laser ablation synthesis in liquid solution (LASiS) is a "green" technique that gives access to the preparation of a library of nanomaterials. Bare noble metal spherical particles, multiphase core-shell oxides, metal-semiconductor heterostructures, layered organometallic compounds and other complex nanostructures can be obtained with the same experimental set up, just by varying a few synthetic parameters. How to govern such versatility is one of the current challenges of LASiS and requires a thorough understanding of the physical and chemical processes involved in the synthesis. In this perspective, the fundamental mechanisms of laser ablation in liquids are summarized, organized according to their temporal…