Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the origins of the surface features
observed in films deposited by the Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) technique. The simulations of
MAPLE are performed for polymer concentrations up to 6 wt.% and a broad range of laser fluences. The polymer
molecules are found to be ejected only in the ablation regime and are always incorporated into polymer-matrix
clusters/droplets generated in the process of the explosive disintegration of the overheated matrix. The entanglement of
the polymer molecules facilitates the formation of intricate elongated viscous droplets that can be related to the complex
morphologies observed in polymer films deposited by MAPLE. The effect of dynamic molecular redistribution in the
ejected matrix-polymer droplets, leading to the generation of transient "molecular balloons" in which polymer-rich
surface layers enclose the volatile matrix material, has been identified as the mechanism responsible for the formation
of characteristic wrinkled polymer structures observed experimentally in films deposited by MAPLE.
Multicomponent noble metal nanoparticles were synthesized using a novel laser-assisted dry processing
approach. Combining attributes from conventional pulsed laser deposition and matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation,
nanoparticles of Au-Ag and Au-Ag-Pd were deposited on Si substrates and electron microscopy grids from metal
precursors. The mean diameter of Au-Ag particles was approximately 2.8 nm, while that of Au-Ag-Pd particles was
approximately 2.2 nm. Significant compositional non-uniformity was observed in deposited particles and is attributed to
the inhomogeneity of the target solutions and the decomposition behavior of the selected material systems.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.