Mass Spectrometric study of graphene-oxide irradiated in vacuum by Nd: YAG laser

During the laser ablation of a graphene oxide target in the vacuum with a 1064 nm ns laser at about 60 J/cm2 fluence, the ablation dynamics and molecular emission have been investigated using a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), time-of-flight measures of the emitted ions and dedicated spectroscopies. The plasma characterization has been obtained giving providing the involved ion species and charge states, and the average temperature and density. Increasing the laser fluence the ablation yield, the plasma density and temperature, the velocity of the emitted particles and the emitted mass yields increase. Due to the laser heating a graphene oxide reduction is also observed. The oxygen is emitted as elemental and as part of different functional groups. A strong dehydration and dehydrogenation occur due to the laser pulse energy deposition, testifying the high content of water and hydrogen possessed by graphene oxide.