This review is devoted to an important part of the chemistry of nanomaterials synthesized by laser deposition methods. The structural and composition features of these nanomaterials formed the key trend of research in this field: catalytic and sensing properties. This is not the only application where these materials show promise, but it is undoubtedly the most important one. Until very recently, research in this area was the preserve of specialists in laser physics, electronic and semiconductor technology, and nonlinear optics. The goal of this review is to partially fill the information gap and discuss the role of chemical factors that enable the preparation of nanomaterials with high catalytic and sensing properties. This will enable interested researchers to optimize the laser synthesis processes by deliberately selecting the composition of the starting materials and precursors relying on the information on possible phase compositions and crystallographic characteristics. The discussion of the chemical aspects of laser synthesis is preceded by a brief description of the fundamentals of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method and laser-induced chemical liquid-phase deposition (LCLD) of metals from solutions. The description is focused on the formation of the phase structure of nanoparticles and nanofilms, which determines their sensing and catalytic properties. The prospects of using laser deposition processes for the design of nanomaterials for hydrogen energy, medicine, organic and inorganic catalysis, and ecology are also analyzed. The bibliography includes 219 references.
Kochemirovsky et al. (Sun,) studied this question.