Synthesis of Mixed Zn-Cu Oxide Nanoparticles in Aqueous Media by Laser Ablation and Plasma Discharge Under Ultrasonic Cavitation

In this study, nanoparticles of mixed copper and zinc oxides were synthesized in an aqueous medium using two physical methods, laser ablation and plasma discharge, under intensive ultrasonic cavitation. Brass, a high-quality binary copper-zinc alloy with a copper content of approximately 63% and a zinc content of 37%, was used as the starting material for obtaining the nanoparticles.The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using dynamic light scattering, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that nanoparticles synthesized in a plasma discharge had a peak distribution in the 70- to 80-nm size range and were predominantly faceted, with no sintering or strong consolidation. Nanoparticles obtained by laser ablation had a peak distribution in the 80- to 90-nm size range and were predominantly spherical.According to X-ray fluorescence analysis, the zinc content in the nanoparticle samples after plasma-chemical synthesis was 55.8% by weight, the copper content was 16.7% by weight, and the oxygen content was 27.5% by weight. For particles synthesized by laser ablation, the zinc content in the samples was 35.7% by weight, the copper content was 26.2% by weight, and the oxygen content was 38.1% by weight.Preservation of the multicomponent composition (Cu-Zn) in the mixed-oxide particles was ensured by localized high-energy impact, leading to explosive erosion and melting of microvolumes of the discharge electrodes. Interaction with the aqueous reaction medium led to the oxidation of the particle surface, forming a complex mixture of metal oxides.