Graphene quantum dots from chemistry to applications

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have been widely studied in recent years due to its unique structure-related properties, such as optical, electrical and optoelectrical properties. GQDs are considered new kind of quantum dots (QDs), as they are chemically and physically stable because of its intrinsic inert carbon property. Furthermore, GQDs are environmentally friendly due to its non-toxic and biologically inert properties, which have attracted worldwide interests from academic and industry. In this review, a number of GQDs preparation methods, such as hydrothermal method, microwave-assisted hydrothermal method, soft-template method, liquid exfoliation method, metal-catalyzed method and electron beam lithography method etc., are summarized. Their structural, morphological, chemical composition, optical, electrical and optoelectrical properties have been characterized and studied. A variety of elemental dopant, such as nitrogen, sulphur, chlorine, fluorine and potassium etc., have been doped into GQDs to diversify the functions of the material. The control of its size and shape has been realized by means of preparation parameters, such as synthesis temperature, growth time, source concentration and catalyst etc. As far as energy level engineering is concerned, the elemental doping has shown an introduction of energy level in GQDs which may tune the optical, electrical and optoelectrical properties of the GQDs. The applications of GQDs in biological imaging, optoelectrical detectors, solar cells, light emitting diodes, fluorescent agent, photocatalysis, and lithium ion battery are described. GQD composites, having optimized contents and properties, are also discussed to extend the applications of GQDs. Basic physical and chemical parameters of GQDs are summarized by tables in this review, which will provide readers useful information.     

Fabrication of carbon quantum dots via ball milling and their application to bioimaging

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with an average diameter of 3 nm, exhibiting blue photoluminescence, have been obtained from commercial conductive carbon black by a cost-effective and straightforward exfoliation method using dry ball milling in the presence of sodium carbonate. As a secondary abrasive medium, sodium carbonate provides effective exfoliation of carbon black with a high degree of CQD graphitization and plays an essential role in the functionalization of CQDs with oxygen groups. Due to the low toxicity of CQDs against HeLa cancer cells (cell viability above 90% at a CQD concentration of 200 μg cm⁻³) and the ability to penetrate cells and emit blue light, CQDs are possibly suitable for biological imaging of cells.     

Biocompatible and fluorescent polycaprolactone/silk electrospun nanofiber yarns loaded with carbon quantum dots for biotextiles

Carbon quantum dots (CDs) are attractive nanoparticles for several applications, due to inherent properties such as excitation dependent photoluminescence emission and chemical stability. In the present work, we synthesized CDs from silk (Bombyx Mori) by a microwave‐assisted method. The resultant spherical nanoparticles with high fluorescence under UV light were incorporated into PCL/silk matrix and electrospun into continuous nanofiber yarns (NF‐Ys) by a one‐step method. Besides granting yarns fluorescence, CD inclusion contributed to a decrease in fiber diameter and an increase in strength by 2.7‐fold. Cell viability studies with mammalian lung cell lines show viability above 80%, suggesting good biocompatibilty. Such yarns show the potential to be assembled into larger structures such as biotextiles, with possible multifunctionalities such as antiviral, antibacterial, and biosensing applications.     

Simultaneous determination of Hg(II) and Cu(II) in water samples using fluorescence quenching sensor of N-doped and N,K co-doped graphene quantum dots

The present study was aimed to use of N doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) and N,K co-doped graphene quantum dots (N,K-GQDs) as a fluorescence quenching sensor to determine both mercury and copper in water sample, simultaneously using simple fluorescence protocol. Each of N-GQDs or N,K-GQDs was optimized separately with 1–5% (w/v) HNO₃ or KNO₃, respectively, and their quantum yields were determined and compared. It was found that N-GQDs, obtained from 3% (w/v) HNO₃ doped resulted higher fluorescence intensity at the maximum excitation and emission wavelengths of 370 and 460 nm, respectively, with higher quantum yield (QY = 83.42%) compared with that of undoped GQDs (QY = 16.35%). While N,K-GQDs obtained from 5%(w/v) KNO₃ gave somewhat different fluorescence spectrum, but still had the same maximum excitation and emission wavelengths with rather highest QY (94.07%). However, it is interesting that detection sensitivity expressed as slope of their calibration curve (y = 5.43x − 19.48; r² = 0.9971) of the N-GQDs is rather higher than that (y = 1.29x + 17.66; r² = 0.9977) of the N,K-GQDs for Hg²⁺ fluorescence quenching sensor, and the fluorescence intensity of N-GQDs had better selectively quenching effect only by both Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺. Thus, their quenching effects were selected to develop the fluorescence turn-off sensor for trace level of both metal ions in real water samples. For method validation, the N-GQDs exhibited high sensitivity to detect both Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺ with wide linear ranges of 20–100 μM and 100–500 μM, respectively. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.42 μM & 1.41 μM for Hg²⁺ and 13.19 μM & 43.97 μM for Cu²⁺, respectively, with their precision expressed as an intra-day and an inter-day analysis of 6.98% & 11.35% for Hg²⁺ and 11.78% & 9.43% for Cu²⁺, respectively. Also the study of matrix analysis of the water samples (drinking water and tap water), was carried out using N-GQDs and N,K-GQDs resulted good percentage recoveries in comparison with those using undoped GQDs under the same optimum conditions.     

Improved interfacial properties of PI composites through graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes on carbon fiber surface

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been identified as excellent nanoreinforcements for carbon fiber (CF)–reinforced polymers regarding a wide range of engineering applications. The outstanding properties of CNTs, such as their large surface area, high mechanical strength, and low manufacturing cost bring them to be distinguished nanoreinforcements for carbon fiber–reinforced polymers to form multifunctional and multiscale composites. Electrophoretic deposition of graphene oxide for CNTs onto the CF surface was conducted. The presence of graphene oxide–CNTs may effectively increase both the roughness and wettability of the CF surface, resulting in an improvement to the interfacial bonding strength between the CF and the polyimide (PI).     

Hydrothermal synthesis of fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots from ascorbic acid and valine for selective determination of picric acid in water samples

Nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) were synthesised by a hydrothermal method using ascorbic acid and valine as precursors. The as-synthesised N-CQDs were characterised by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV?vis absorption spectra, as well as fluorescence spectrophotometer. The results revealed that the as-prepared N-CQDs were spherical shaped with an average diameter of 4 nm and emitted bright blue photoluminescence with a quantum yield of approximately 4.8 %. Additionally, we found that the fluorescence of the N-CQDs was intensively quenched by the addition of picric acid (PA). The decrease of the fluorescence intensity made it possible to determine PA in the linear range of 0.06–7.81 µg ml^–1 based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer between PA and N-CQDs. The detection limit was as low as 11.46 ng ml^–1. The proposed approach was further successfully applied for the determination of PA in water sample collected from Fenhe river for public safety and security, suggesting its great potential towards water routine analysis.     

石墨烯量子点磁性复合纳米粒子分散固相微萃取-毛细管电泳法测定肉桂酸及其衍生物

通过一步化学共沉淀法制备了石墨烯量子点(graphene quantum dots,GQDs)包覆的Fe3O4磁性纳米复合材料(Fe3O4-GQDs),并将其用于肉桂酸及其衍生物(肉桂酸、3,4-二甲氧基肉桂酸、4-甲氧基肉桂酸、阿魏酸、反-4-羟基肉桂酸)的固相微萃取,并与毛细管电泳联用建立了测定肉桂酸及其衍生物的新方法。实验考察了吸附溶液的pH值、吸附时间、吸附剂用量、脱附时间等因素对萃取效率的影响。实现了肉桂酸及其衍生物的快速高效富集和高灵敏度检测,加标回收率为86.2%~96.2%,相对标准偏差为1.8%~4.3%。结果表明,合成的Fe3O4-GQDs磁性纳米粒子可作为一种良好的吸附材料应用于特定样品的富集。     

核-壳结构CdSe/ZnS量子点的制备、硫醇修饰及其光学性能

采用高温有机相包覆技术制备了CdSe/ZnS核壳结构量子点材料,考察了包覆量对量子点材料的光学性能的影响,研究了含脂肪链和芳香基的双硫醇分子1,4-苯二甲硫醇和1,8-辛二硫醇对于具有核-壳结构的CdSe/ZnS量子点材料的修饰作用,考察了修饰作用对于量子点的量子效率和荧光强度等光学性能的影响.实验结果表明:随着硫化锌包覆量的增加,量子点的量子效率及其荧光发射强度明显提高;硫醇的修饰能显著增强量子点的发光强度,随着硫醇浓度的增加,其发光性能增强,但是达到一定程度后,光学性能基本不随硫醇浓度的变化而变化.根据固体核磁共振等实验结果推测:硫醇分子可能部分替代了量子点体系中的正三辛基氧膦配体,稳定了量子点体系,对量子点起修饰保护作用,从而提高了量子点的光学性能.     

Preparation of strongly fluorescent silica nanoparticles of polyelectrolyte-protected cadmium telluride quantum dots and their application to cell toxicity and imaging

Based on the polyelectrolyte-protected CdTe quantum dots (QDs), which were prepared by self-assembling of QDs and poly-diallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) in the help of electrostatic attraction, the strong fluorescence silica nanoparticles (QDs-PDADMAC@SiO₂) have been prepared via a water-in-oil reverse microemulsion method. Transmission electron microscopy and Zeta potential analysis were used to characterize the as-prepared nanoparticles. All of the particles were almost spherical and there is a uniform distribution of the particle size with the average diameter about 25 nm. There is a large Zeta potential of −35.07 mV which is necessary for good monodispersity of nanoparticles solution. As compared with the QDs coated by SiO₂ (QDs@SiO₂), the QDs-PDADMAC@SiO₂ nanoparticles have much stronger fluorescence, and their fluorescence stability could be obviously improved. Moreover, QDs-PDADMAC@SiO₂ exhibits good biological compatibility which promotes their application in cellular imaging.     

一锅法高效制备橙色荧光氧化石墨烯量子点及其在细胞pH成像中的应用

以价廉、易得的石墨片为原料,采用改进的Hummers法,简单、快速、高效地制备了具有良好生物相容性的橙色荧光氧化石墨烯量子点(GOQDs)。所制备的GOQDs尺寸约7.2 nm,具有尺寸均匀、晶格间距为0.20 nm的高度结晶的核心和氧化的外围结构。与大多数报道的碳点(CDs)、包裹掺杂碳点(掺杂CDs)、石墨烯量子点(GQDS)和GOQDs不同,我们的方法制备的GOQDs显示出橙红色并具有激发波长独立的荧光发射。此外,GOQDs具有pH依赖性荧光发射、强的光漂白抗性、低细胞毒性、良好的水溶性(ρ=10 mg·mL^-1)和优异的生物相容性。这些特性使其成功应用于细胞pH成像。     

一锅法高效制备橙色荧光氧化石墨烯量子点及其在细胞pH成像中的应用

以价廉、易得的石墨片为原料,采用改进的Hummers法,简单、快速、高效地制备了具有良好生物相容性的橙色荧光氧化石墨烯量子点(GOQDs)。所制备的GOQDs尺寸约7.2 nm,具有尺寸均匀、晶格间距为0.20 nm的高度结晶的核心和氧化的外围结构。与大多数报道的碳点(CDs)、包裹掺杂碳点(掺杂 CDs)、石墨烯量子点(GQDS)和 GOQDs不同,我们的方法制备的 GOQDs显示出橙红色并具有激发波长独立的荧光发射。此外,GOQDs具有pH依赖性荧光发射、强的光漂白抗性、低细胞毒性、良好的水溶性(ρ=10 mg·mL^-1)和优异的生物相容性。这些特性使其成功应用于细胞pH成像。     

One-pot electrochemical synthesis of functionalized fluorescent carbon dots and their selective sensing for mercury ion

We propose a simple, economical, and one-pot method to synthesize water-soluble functionalized fluorescent carbon dots (C-Dots) through electrochemical carbonization of sodium citrate and urea. The as-prepared C-Dots have good photostability and exhibit a high quantum yield of 11.9%. The sizes of the C-Dots are mainly distributed in the range of 1.0–3.5 nm with an average size of 2.4 nm. It has been further used as a novel label-free sensing probe for selective detection of Hg²⁺ ions with detection limit as low as 3.3 nM. The detection linear range is 0.01–10 μM. The as-prepared C-Dots are also successfully applied for the determination of Hg²⁺ in real water samples.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of highly luminescent CdTe quantum dots by adjusting precursors’ concentration and their conjunction with BSA as biological fluorescent probes

A study on hydrothermal synthesis of CdTe quantum dots, highly luminescent nanocrystals at a relatively lower temperature, via changing the concentration of the CdTe precursors, is described. The full width at half maximum ranged from 40 to 80 nm and quantum yield (QY) was detected to be 27.4% at room temperature. The as-prepared CdTe QDs were labeled with BSA for fluorescence probes without pretreatment. Conjunction experimental results suggested that the as-prepared CdTe QDs are suitable for the application of biotechnology.     

Highly fluorescent carbon dots from peanut shells as potential probes for copper ion: The optimization and analysis of the synthetic process

The use of natural materials, a renewable resource, instead of chemicals as carbon precursors for simple synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots (FCDs) remains a significant challenge. Here, we report the preparation of FCDs with a photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) of 10.58% from peanut shells via one-pot pyrolysis treatment optimized by using a central composite experiment design. Optimum pyrolysis conditions were found to be 400 °C temperature, 4 h duration, and 70 g peanut shell weight. The as-prepared FCDs possess unique excitation-dependent behavior, good water dispersibility and high photostability. The results of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to analyze the pyrolytic process indicated the complete combustion of peanut shells happened at 3 and 4 h at 400 °C. The PL intensity of the FCDs was not always proportional to the corresponding QY value in our work due to the different amount of carbon-rich residues after the pyrolysis process. Fluorescence-quenching trials were conducted to analyze their sensitivity and selectivity in Cu²⁺ detection. The detection limit was found to be 4.8 μM. Our pyrolysis treatment of peanut shells for preparing FCDs is not only a green and facile method but also a means of recycling peanut shells.     

Functionalized graphene quantum dots loaded with free radicals combined with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry to screen radical scavenging natural antioxidants from Licorice and Scutellariae

A novel screening method was developed for the detection and identification of radical scavenging natural antioxidants based on a free radical reaction combined with liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Functionalized graphene quantum dots were prepared for loading free radicals in the complex screening system. The detection was performed with and without a preliminary exposure of the samples to specific free radicals on the functionalized graphene quantum dots, which can facilitate charge transfer between free radicals and antioxidants. The difference in chromatographic peak areas was used to identify potential antioxidants. This is a novel approach to simultaneously evaluate the antioxidant power of a component versus a free radical, and to identify it in a vegetal matrix. The structures of the antioxidants in the samples were identified using tandem mass spectrometry and comparison with standards. Fourteen compounds were found to possess potential antioxidant activity, and their free radical scavenging capacities were investigated. The order of scavenging capacity of 14 compounds was compared according to their free radical scavenging rate. 4′,5,6,7‐Tetrahydroxyflavone (radical scavenging rate: 0.05253 mL mg^?1 s^?1) showed the strongest capability for scavenging free radicals.     

Nitro group reduction and Suzuki reaction catalysed by palladium supported on magnetic nanoparticles modified with carbon quantum dots generated from glycerol and urea

Glycerol and urea were used as green and cheap sources of carbon quantum dots (CQD) for modifying Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs). The obtained CQD@Fe₃O₄ NPs were used for the stabilization of palladium species and the prepared catalyst, Pd@CQD@Fe₃O₄, was characterized using various techniques. This magnetic supported palladium was applied as an efficient catalyst for the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds to primary amines at room temperature using very low palladium loading (0.008 mol%) and also for the Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction of aryl halides as well as challenging heteroaryl bromides and aryl diazonium salts with arylboronic acids and with potassium phenyltrifluoroborate. This magnetically recyclable catalyst was recovered and reused for seven consecutive runs in the reduction of 4‐nitrotoluene to p‐toluidine and for ten consecutive runs in the reaction of 4‐iodoanisole with phenylboronic acid with small decrease of activity. The catalyst reused in the Suzuki reaction was characterized using transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Using experiments such as hot filtration and poisoning tests, it has been shown that the true catalyst works under homogeneous conditions according to the release–return pathway of active palladium species.     

Facile and efficient fabrication of g-C3N4 quantum dots for fluorescent analysis of trace copper(II) in environmental samples

The facile preparation of g-C₃N₄ QDs with high fluorescent performance has become an important direction in the last decade. Herein, we develop a facile, rapid approach to synthesize highly fluorescent QDs based on recrystallization and ultrasonic exfoliation. Size-controllable graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) QDs can be obtained from the precursor of recrystallized dicyandiamide, only 90 min is needed and the size of QDs is adjusted from 5 nm to 200 nm by controlling the ultrasonic time. Moreover, better fluorescent efficiency is also obtained comparing to traditional g-C₃N₄ QDs. The obtained g-C₃N₄ QDs responds to Cu(II) in the 0.5 nmol/L to 30 μmol/L concentration range, with a 0.3 nmol/L detection limit. The method was applied to the determination of Cu(II) in different environmental water samples.     

Facile and efficient fabrication of g-C3N4 quantum dots for fluorescent analysis of trace copper(II) in environmental samples

A facile and efficient fabrication of g-C₃N₄ quantum dots with highly fluorescent based on recrystallization and ultrasonic exfoliation was presented. The obtained g-C₃N₄ QDs was successfully applied to the determination of trace Cu(II) in different environmental water samples.     

A theoretical study of the electronic properties of hydrogenated spherical-like SiC quantum dots with C-rich and Si-rich compositions

Quantum dots have many potential applications in opto-electronics, energy storage, catalysis, and medical diagnostics, silicon carbide quantum dots could be very attractive for many biological and technological applications due to their chemical inertness and biocompatibility, however, there are seldom theoretical studies that could boost the development of these applications. In this work, the electronic properties of hydrogenated spherical-like SiC quantum dots with C-rich and Si-rich compositions are investigated using density functional theory calculations. The quantum dots are modeled by removing atoms outside a sphere from an otherwise perfect SiC crystal, the surface dangling bonds are passivated with H atoms. Our results exhibit that the electronic properties of the SiC-QD are strongly influenced by their composition and diameter size. The energy gap is always higher than that of the crystalline SiC, making these SiC QD's suitable for applications at harsh temperatures. The density of states and the energy levels show that the Si-rich quantum dots had a higher density of states near the conduction band minimum, which indicates better conductivity. These results could be used to tune the electronicproperties of SiC quantum dots for optoelectronic applications.