Preparation Of Graphene Quantum Dots Research Articles

Determination of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic and uric acids by fluorometric method using graphene quantum dots

ABSTRACTGraphene quantum dots were synthesized by control carbonization of citric acid and utilized for selective determination of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic and uric acids. The prepared graphene quantum dots were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared, ultraviolet–visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results revealed that dopamine could quench the fluorescence of graphene quantum dots through a dynamic quenching mechanism. Under the optimized conditions, the linear concentration range was obtained within 0.01–50.0 µM, with the correlation coefficient of 0.9983 and a limit of detection of 8.2 nM. This method does not show any interference with respect to coexisting foreign substances, even at the presence of 500-fold of ascorbic acid and uric acid.

Graphene quantum dots modified glassy carbon electrode via electrostatic self-assembly strategy and its application

An electrostatic self-assembly strategy for the preparation of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) attached to the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) has been developed. The GQDs were prepared by tuning the carbonization degree of citric acid and characterized by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. In addition, the electrochemical behaviours of hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CC) on the resulting modified electrodes were investigated. Under optimum conditions, the as-prepared GQDs modified electrode exhibited high electrochemical activity and good selectivity for the oxidation of HQ and CC, the linear ranges for HQ and CC were 4.0∼600μM and 6.0∼400μM respectively, and the detection limit was 0.40μM and 0.75μM, respectively. The modified electrode was also applied for the detection of real samples with satisfactory results.

Facile and simultaneous synthesis of graphene quantum dots and reduced graphene oxide for bio-imaging and supercapacitor applications

A simple and facile method for the simultaneous preparation of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) having different emission colours, viz., yellow, green and blue, and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) utilized respectively for bio-imaging and supercapacitor applications is demonstrated.

Preparation of Graphene Quantum Dots and Their Application in Cell Imaging

Objective. This study aims to increase the fluorescence quantum yield by improving the conditions of preparing graphene quantum dots (GQDs) through the solvothermal route and observe the GQDs performance in imaging oral squamous cells.Methodology. The following experimental conditions of GQDs preparation through the solvothermal route were improved: graphene oxide (GO)/N-N dimethyl formamide (DMF) ratio, filling percentage, and reaction time. A fluorescence spectrophotometer was used to measure photoluminescence, and the peak values were compared. Methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium (MTT) bromide was used to detect the cytotoxicity of GQDs, which was compared with that of cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs). GQDs were cultured with tongue cancer cells. After the coculture, a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) was used to observe cell imaging.Results. The optimal conditions of GQD preparation through the solvothermal route included the following: 10 mg/mL GO/DMF ratio, 80% filling percentage, 12 h reaction time, and 17.4% fluorescence quantum yield. As the cell concentration increased, the GQD and CdTe QD groups exhibited a decreasing cell survival rate, with the decrease in the CdTe QD group being more significant. The LSCM observations showed bright green fluorescence images.Conclusion. The improved experimental conditions increased the fluorescence quantum yield of GQDs. In this study, the prepared GQDs exhibited low cytotoxicity level and satisfactory cell imaging performance.

Preparation of Graphene Quantum Dots and Their Biological Applications

As the derivatives of graphene, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have the excellent properties of graphene, and photoluminescence (PL) properties that ordinary graphene does not possess, which is attributed to quantum confinement effect and boundary effect. Moreover, GQDs perform well in terms of cytotoxicity and biocompatibil- ity. Recently, the synthetic method of GQDs is increasingly diverse, which is usually divided into two main groups: top-down and bottom-up. With increasing application of GQDs in biomedical field, higher requirements on their morphology and size control are put forward. In this paper, we focus on the synthetic methods that are promising to control morphology and size of GQDs. Advantages and disadvantages of these methods are listed and analyzed comparatively. The biological applications of GQDs, including biological imaging, biological sensors, drug delivery and antibacterial agents, etc. are introduced. Suggestions on the choice of synthetic method for preparation of GQDs are given based on the requirements of diverse applications. The remained problems and the development directions in the research of GQDs are put forward.

Facile hydrothermal method to prepare graphene quantum dots from graphene oxide with different photoluminescences

GQDs exhibiting multi-colour photoluminescence were prepared by reacting GO with H2O2 and a novel purifying method was proposed.

Graphene quantum dots prepared from chemical exfoliation of multiwall carbon nanotubes: An efficient photocatalyst promoter

We report here a facile preparation of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) by chemical exfoliation of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using a modified hummers' method. The resultant GQD samples possess strong electronic property, revealing great potential for photocatalyst design. As an efficient promoter, GQDs/P25 nanocomposites have been successfully prepared by simple wet impregnation and subsequent thermal annealing at 200°C. In the tests of photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under visible-light irradiation, the GQDs promoted P25 samples which shows much higher photocatalytic activity compared to the pure P25, indicating the crucial roles of GQDs.

Preparation of graphene quantum dots based core-satellite hybrid spheres and their use as the ratiometric fluorescence probe for visual determination of mercury(II) ions

We herein proposed a simple and effective strategy for preparing graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-based core-satellite hybrid spheres and further explored the feasibility of using such spheres as the ratiometric fluorescence probe for the visual determination of Hg2+. The red-emitting CdTe QDs were firstly entrapped in the silica nanosphere to reduce their toxicity and improve their photo and chemical stabilities, thus providing a built-in correction for environmental effects, while the GQDs possessing good biocompatibility and low toxicity were electrostatic self-assembly on the silica surface acting as reaction sites. Upon exposure to the increasing contents of Hg2+, the blue fluorescence of GQDs can be gradually quenched presumably due to facilitating nonradiative electron/hole recombination annihilation. With the embedded CdTe QDs as the internal standard, the variations of the tested solution display continuous fluorescence color changes from blue to red, which can be easily observed by the naked eye without any sophisticated instrumentations and specially equipped laboratories. This sensor exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity toward Hg2+ in a broad linear range of 10 nM–22 μM with a low detection limit of 3.3 nM (S/N = 3), much lower than the allowable Hg2+ contents in drinking water set by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This prototype ratiometric probe is of good simplicity, low toxicity, excellent stabilities, and thus potentially attractive for Hg2+ quantification related biological systems.

Graphene Quantum Dots Prepared from Graphene Hydrogels Basing on Hydrothermal Method

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) is one of the derivatives of graphene. Due to the unique spin, electronic and optical properties, GQDs has attracted much attention. Graphene is a famous 2D and zero-bandgap material, and its size can be controlled to be from several micrometers to 30 inches. In principle, the bandgap of graphene can be tuned by varying its size. GQDs, less than 20 nm, can be considered as ultra-small fragments of graphene. The bandgap of small GQDs widens due to the quantum confinement effect. GQDs become semiconductors, which makes GQDs suitable for various fields such as optoelectronic devices, sensors and bio-imaging. Herein, we report a novel method to prepare graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from graphene hydrogels. Various methods of synthesizing GQDs have been reported, such as hydrothermal synthesis, solvothermal, electrochemical methods, microwave technology and the bottom-up method. In our study, graphene hydrogels were prepared using a hydrothermal technique. By immersion of the hydrogels in low-polarity organic solvents, GQDs were released from the hydrogels. This method did not require additional treatments such as the centrifugation, filtration and dialysis in the general hydrothermal process. These GQDs have the strongest emission at ~347 nm.

Near-UV-emitting graphene quantum dots from graphene hydrogels

We report a novel method to prepare graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from graphene hydrogels. Graphene hydrogels were prepared using a hydrothermal technique, and GQDs were released from the hydrogels on immersion of the hydrogels in low-polarity organic solvents. This method did not require additional treatments such as the centrifugation, filtration and dialysis typical of the general hydrothermal method. These GQDs were observed to fluoresce, with their strongest emission in the near-UV region, at ∼347nm. Moreover, these GQDs, when in their pure state, formed a highly viscous liquid insoluble in water due to their lack of many oxygen-containing functional groups.

Graphene quantum dots directly generated from graphite via magnetron sputtering and the application in thin-film transistors

This work presents a novel method to prepare graphene quantum dots (GQDs) directly from graphite. A composite film of GQDs and ZnO was first prepared using the composite target of graphite and ZnO via magnetron sputtering, followed with hydrochloric acid treatment and dialysis. Morphology and optical properties of the GQDs were investigated using a number of techniques. The as-prepared GQDs are 4–12nm in size and 1–2nm in thickness. They also exhibited typical excitation-dependent properties as expected in carbon-based quantum dots. To demonstrate the potential applications of GQDs in electronic devices, pure ZnO and GQD–ZnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) using ZrOx dielectric were fabricated and examined. The ZnO TFT incorporating the GQDs exhibited enhanced performance: an on/off current ratio of 1.7×107, a field-effect mobility of 17.7cm2/Vs, a subthreshold swing voltage of 90mV/decade. This paper provides an efficient, reproducible and eco-friendly approach for the preparation of monodisperse GQDs directly from graphite. Our results suggest that GQDs fabricated using magnetron sputtering method may envision promising applications in electronic devices.

Controllable size-selective method to prepare graphene quantum dots from graphene oxide.

We demonstrated one-step method to fabricate two different sizes of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) through chemical cutting from graphene oxide (GO), which had many advantages in terms of simple process, low cost, and large scale in manufacturing with higher production yield comparing to the reported methods. Several analytical methods were employed to characterize the composition and morphology of the resultants. Bright blue luminescent GQDs were obtained with a produced yield as high as 34.8%. Moreover, how the different sizes affect fluorescence wavelength mechanism was investigated in details.

Preparation of fluorescent graphene quantum dots from humic acid for bioimaging application

Humic acid as a raw material was applied for the preparation of graphene quantum dots by a one-step hydrothermal method.

The permeability and transport mechanism of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) across the biological barrier.

As an emerging nanomaterial, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have shown enormous potential in theranostic applications. However, many aspects of the biological properties of GQDs require further clarification. In the present work, we prepared two sizes of GQDs and for the first time investigated their membrane permeabilities, one of the key factors of all biomedical applications, and transport mechanisms on a Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell monolayer. The experimental results revealed that under ∼300 mg L(-1), GQDs were innoxious to MDCK and did not affect the morphology and integrity of the cell monolayer. The Papp values were determined to be 1-3 × 10(-6) cm s(-1) for the 12 nm GQDs and 0.5-1.5 × 10(-5) cm s(-1) for the 3 nm GQDs, indicating that the 3 nm GQDs are well-transported species while the 12 nm GQDs have a moderate membrane permeability. The transport and uptake of GQDs by MDCK cells were both time and concentration-dependent. Moreover, the incubation of cells with GQDs enhanced the formation of lipid rafts, while inhibition of lipid rafts with methyl-β-cyclodextrin almost eliminated the membrane transport of GQDs. Overall, the experimental results suggested that GQDs cross the MDCK cell monolayer mainly through a lipid raft-mediated transcytosis. The present work has indicated that GQDs are a novel, low-toxic, highly-efficient general carrier for drugs and/or diagnostic agents in biomedical applications.

A new mild, clean and highly efficient method for the preparation of graphene quantum dots without by-products.

We demonstrated that graphene oxide (GO) can be oxidized and cut into graphene quantum dots (GQDs) by hydroxyl radicals (˙OH), which is obtained by the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with a tungsten oxide nanowire (W18O49) catalyst. The clean oxidizing agent (H2O2) and the solid catalyst lead to a simple GQD preparing method without any by-products. The obtained GQD aqueous solution can be directly applied to fluorescence imaging in vitro without any further purification. The effect of the W18O49 catalyst on the ˙OH formation is discussed, and the size of GQDs can be controlled via changing the concentration of hydroxyl radicals.

Large scale preparation of graphene quantum dots from graphite oxide in pure water via one-step electrochemical tailoring

A novel electrochemical synthesis for graphene quantum dots (GQD) on a large scale from graphite oxide (GO) in pure water has been proposed.

Carbon black-derived graphene quantum dots composited with carbon aerogel as a highly efficient and stable reduction catalyst for the iodide/tri-iodide couple.

A microwave-assisted oxidative cleavage process is developed to prepare graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from carbon black. The size evolution of the resulting carbonaceous products is studied. In one hour, GQDs of a size less than 10 nm and thickness less than 2 nm are obtained. These GQDs are further composited with mesoporous carbon aerogels (CA) by a filtration process to form GQD-decorated CA composites (GQD/CA). The GQD/CA composite is applied as a catalyst electrode for the reduction of I3(-) to I(-), a critical electrolyte regeneration reaction in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Also investigated are Pt electrodes, the expensive traditional counter electrode material for DSSCs, and plain CA electrodes for comparison. Based on data derived from cyclic voltammograms and Tafel plots, the GQD/CA composite exhibits catalytic efficiencies comparable to that of Pt electrodes and better than that of plain CA electrodes. The GQD/CA electrodes, however, surpass the Pt electrodes in terms of long-term stability. The cathodic current drops significantly after 500 cycles for the Pt and plain CA electrodes, whereas the cathodic current is slightly increased for the GQD/CA electrodes. The GQD/CA composite thus proves to be an inexpensive, efficient, and stable alternative to Pt as the counter electrode material for DSSCs.

Carbon‐Based Dots Co‐doped with Nitrogen and Sulfur for High Quantum Yield and Excitation‐Independent Emission

Helpful elements: A facile bottom-up method using citric acid and L-cysteine as a precursor has been developed to prepare graphene quantum dots (GQDs) co-doped with nitrogen and sulfur. A new type and high density of surface state of GQDs arises, leading to high yields (more than 70 %) and excitation-independent emission. FLQY = fluorescence quantum yield.

Preparation of Graphene Quantum Dots from Pyrolyzed Alginate

Pyrolysis at 900 °C under an inert atmosphere of alginate, a natural widely available biopolymer, renders a graphitic carbon that upon ablation by exposure to a pulsed 532 nm laser (7 ns, 50 mJ pulse(-1)) in acetonitrile, water, and other solvents leads to the formation of multilayer graphitic quantum dots. The dimensions and the number of layers of these graphitic nanoparticles decrease along the number of laser pulses from 100 to 10 nm average and from multiple layers to few layers graphene (1-1.5 nm thickness), respectively, leading to graphene quantum dots (GQDs). Accordingly, the emission intensity of these GQDs increases appearing at about 500 nm in the visible region along the reduction of the particle size. Transient absorption spectroscopy has allowed detection of a transient signal decaying in the microsecond time scale that has been attributed to the charge separation state.

Synthesis of blue light-emitting graphene quantum dots and their application in flexible nonvolatile memory

We presented a facile method to prepare graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from double-walled carbon nanotube with blue light emission in a chlorobenzene solution, which enabled the preparation of GQD–polymer hybrid nanocomposite. The wavelength-dependent fluorescent lifetime of the GQDs was investigated by using time-resolved photoluminescence technique. Significantly, nonvolatile rewritable memory effect was observed for the GQD-based nanocomposite, suggesting the promising applications of GQDs in data storage. Moreover, due to the easy solution process, we demonstrated the design and realization of flexible GQD-based memory device. This work may expand the application of GQDs to the portable electronic devices.