Flexible Polymer–Organic Solar Cells Based on P3HT:PCBM Bulk Heterojunction Active Layer Constructed under Environmental Conditions

In this study, some crucial parameters were determined of flexible polymer–organic solar cells prepared from an active layer blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and the fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) mixed in 1:1 mass ratio and deposited from chlorobenzene solution by spin-coating on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/ITO substrates. Additionally, the positive effect of an electron transport layer (ETL) prepared from zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO np) on flexible photovoltaic elements’ performance and stability was investigated. Test devices with above normal architecture and silver back electrodes deposed by magnetron sputtering were constructed under environmental conditions. They were characterized by current-voltage (I–V) measurements, quantum efficiency, impedance spectroscopy, surface morphology, and time–degradation experiments. The control over morphology of active layer thin film was achieved by post-deposition thermal treatment at temperatures of 110–120 °C, which led to optimization of device morphology and electrical parameters. The impedance spectroscopy results of flexible photovoltaic elements were fitted using two R||CPE circuits in series. Polymer–organic solar cells prepared on plastic substrates showed comparable current–voltage characteristics and structural properties but need further device stability improvement according to traditionally constructed cells on glass substrates.     

Voltammetric determination of levofloxacin using a glassy carbon electrode modified with poly(o-aminophenol) and graphene quantum dots

A strategy was developed for the voltammetric determination of the antibiotic drug levofloxacin (LV) based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with a composite consisting of poly(o-aminophenol) and graphene quantum dots (PoAP/GQD) that was fabricated by electropolymerization. The PoAP/GQD composite provides a large surface area and sensing interface and strongly promotes the oxidation current of LV. Under optimal conditions, the modified GCE displays an oxidation peak current (best measured at a working voltage of 1.05 V vs. SCE) that is linearly related to the levofloxacin concentration in the range from 0.05 to 100 μM, and the detection limit is 10 nM (at an S/N of 3). The method was applied to the determination of levofloxacin in spiked milk samples where is gave recoveries between 96.0 and 101.0 %.

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Graphical Abstract We describe a one-step electrochemical polymerization method to synthesize a layer of conductive film of poly(o-aminophenol) and graphene quantum dots (PoAP/GQD) onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface. The composite film exhibited high electro catalytic activity for the quantitative determination of levofloxacin by stripping voltammetry.

     

Bottom-Up Synthesis,Dispersion and Properties of Rectangular-Shaped Graphene Quantum Dots

Carbon nanomaterials have attracted the attention of the scientific community for more than 30 years now; first with fullerene, then with nanotubes and now with graphene and graphene related materials. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are nanoparticles of graphene that can be synthesized following two approaches, namely top-down and bottom-up methods. The top-down synthesis used harsh chemical and/or physical treatments of macroscopic graphitic materials to obtain nanoparticles, while the second is based on organic chemistry through the synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exhibiting various sizes and shapes that are perfectly controlled. The main drawback of this approach is related to the low solubility of carbon materials that prevents the synthesis of nanoparticles containing more than few hundreds of sp² carbon atoms. Here we report on the synthesis of a family of rectangular-shaped graphene quantum dots containing up to 162 sp² carbon atoms. These graphene quantum dots are not functionalized on their periphery in order to keep the maximum similarity with nanoparticles of pure graphene. We chose water with sodium deoxycholate surfactant to study their dispersion and their optical properties (absorption, photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation). The electronic structure of the particles and of their aggregates are studied using Tight-Binding (TB). We observe that the larger particles ( GQD 3 and GQD 4 ) present a slightly better dispensability than the smaller ones, probably because the larger GQDs can accommodate more surfactant molecules on each side, which helps to stabilize their dispersion in water.     

炭-/石墨烯量子点在超级电容器中的应用

炭-/石墨烯量子点作为新兴的炭纳米材料,因具有独特的小尺寸效应和丰富的边缘活性位点而在高性能超级电容器电极材料的研发方面展现出巨大潜力。针对目前炭-/石墨烯量子点在超级电容器电极材料方面的应用优势和存在的关键问题,本文以炭-/石墨烯量子点、量子点/导电炭复合材料、量子点/金属氧化物复合材料、量子点/导电聚合物复合材料以及量子点衍生炭这些电极材料为脉络,梳理了近年来该领域的发展状况,尝试阐释炭-/石墨烯量子点在电极材料、复合材料和衍生炭电极材料中所起到的关键作用,最后对炭-/石墨烯量子点电极材料的发展进行了展望。本综述以期为炭-/石墨烯量子点基电极材料的研究提供一定参考和依据。     

Simultaneous Detection of Multiple DNA Targets by Integrating Dual‐Color Graphene Quantum Dot Nanoprobes and Carbon Nanotubes

Simultaneous detection of multiple DNA targets was achieved based on a biocompatible graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) platform through spontaneous assembly between dual‐color GQD‐based probes and CNTs and subsequently self‐recognition between DNA probes and targets.     

Effect of graphene quantum dots on photoluminescence property of polyvinyl butyral nanocomposite

Design and development of new photoluminescence system are much in demand for various engineering and technological applications. The present investigation focused on the influence of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) dispersion in the polyvinyl butyral (PVB) matrix. The structural and chemical interaction of GQD‐dispersed PVB composites was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), micro‐Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet and visible (UV‐Vis), and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. Chemical interaction between the functional groups leads to PL quenching at 455 nm. Changes on crystallite size and interplanar spacing hinders on the structural properties of the nanocomposite. Raman spectroscopy reveals the decrease in D/G intensity ratio influenced by GQD loading wt% in the polymer system. The dispersion and occupied network of GQD in the PVB matrix was confirmed by optical polarizing microscopy (OPM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Effect of electrical conductivity of composites as a function of temperature has been verified. Decrease in direct bandgap as a function of GQD loading confirms the promising PL properties of the prepared composite system. Thus GQD‐derived composites may further be developed as a membrane for improved PL property.     

Separation of Spectroscopically Uniform Nanographenes

Excitation‐dependent photoluminescence (PL) is a well‐known property of graphene quantum dots (GQDs). For the development of carbon‐based photofunctional materials, GQDs possessing uniform PL properties are in high demand. A protocol has been established to separate spectroscopically uniform lipophilic GQD‐ 1 a from a mixture of GQD‐ 1 mainly composed of GQD‐ 1 a and GQD‐ 1 b . The mixture of GQD‐ 1 was synthesized through the reaction of p‐methoxybenzylamine with GQD‐ 2 prepared from graphite by common oxidative exfoliation. Size‐exclusion chromatography gave rise to GQD‐ 1 a and GQD‐ 1 b , with diameters of 19.8 and 4.9 nm, respectively. Large GQD‐ 1 a showed that the PL was fairly independent of the excitation wavelengths, whereas the PL of small GQD‐ 1 b was dependent on excitation. The excitation‐dependent nature is most likely to be associated with the structures of sp² domains on the graphene surfaces. The large sp²‐conjugated surface of GQD‐ 1 a is likely to possess well‐developed and large sp² domains, the band gaps of which do not significantly vary. The small sp²‐conjugated surface of GQD‐ 1 b produces small sp²‐conjugated domains that generate band gaps differing with domain sizes.     

Additive-Free Electrophoretic Deposition of Graphene Quantum Dots Thin Films

The electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of graphene-based materials on transparent substrates is highly potential for many applications. Several factors can determine the yield of the EPD process, such as applied voltage, deposition time and particularly the presence of dispersion additives (stabilisers) in the suspension solution. This study presents an additive-free EPD of graphene quantum dot (GQD) thin films on an indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate and studies the deposition mechanism with the variation of the applied voltage (10–50 V) and deposition time (5–25 min). It is found that due to the small size (≈3.9 nm) and high content of deprotonated carboxylic groups, the GQDs form a stable dispersion (zeta-potential of about −35 mV) without using additives. The GQD thin films can be deposited onto ITO with optimal surface morphology at 30 V in 5 min (surface roughness of approximately (3.1±1.3) nm). In addition, as-fabricated GQD thin films also possess some interesting physico-optical properties, such as a double-peak photoluminescence at about λ=417 and 439 nm, with approximately 98 % visible transmittance. This low-cost and eco-friendly GQD thin film is a promising material for various applications, for example, transparent conductors, supercapacitors and heat conductive films in smart windows.     

Bending-stability Interfacial Layer as Dual Electron Transport Layer for Flexible Organic Photovoltaics

The flexibility of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has attracted worldwide attention in recent years.To realize the bending-stability of OPVs,it is necessary to put forward the bending-stability of interracial layer.A novel bendable composite is explored and successfully applied as an electron transport layer (ETL) for fully-flexible OPVs.We incorporated poly(vinylpyrrolidone)(PVP) into conjugated electrolytes (CPE) to composite a bendable ETL for high-performance OPVs devices.Fortunately,the devices based on PVP-modified CPE exhibited better device performances and more excellent mechanical properties of bendability.The fullerene-free OPVs based on PM6:IT-4F with CPE@PVP as ETLs yield the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.42％.Moreover,a satisfying efficiency of 12.59％ has been obtained for the fully-flexible OPVs.As far as we know,this is one of the highest PCE for fully-flexible OPV based PM6:IT-4F system.More importantly,the flexible OPVs devices can retain more than 80％ of its initial efficiency after 5000 bending cycles.Furthermore,among various curvature radii,the mechanical properties of the device based on CPE@PVP are superior to those of the device based on bare CPE as ETL.These findings indicate that the functional flexibility of CPE as a cathode interfacial layer is an effective strategy to fabricate high-performance flexible devices in the near future.     

Understanding the Electronic Structures of Graphene Quantum Dot Physisorption and Chemisorption onto the TiO2 (110) Surface: A First‐Principles Calculation

We investigated the interfacial electronic structure and charge transfer properties of graphene quantum dot (GQD) physisorption and chemisorption on the TiO₂ (110) surface from density functional theory calculations. The simulations show that a slight charge transfer occurs in physisorption case while a significant charge transfer takes place in chemisorption configuration. We present a detailed comparison of the similarities and differences between the electronic structures. The similarities originate from the positive work function difference in both the physisorption and chemisorption configurations, which is able to drive electron transfer from GQD into TiO₂, leading to charge separation across the GQD–TiO₂ interface. The differences stem from the interaction between the GQD and TiO₂ substrate. For example, GQD bounds to TiO₂ surface through van der Waals interactions in the case of physisorption. In the chemisorption configuration, however, there exists strong covalent bonding between them. This leads to much more efficient charge separation for chemisorption than for physisorption. Furthermore, the GQD–TiO₂ composites show large band‐gap narrowing that could extend the optical absorption edge into the visible‐light region. This should imply that chemisorbed GQDs produce a composite with better photocatalytic and photovoltaic performance than composites formed through physisorption.     

用CdSe/ZnS量子点提高体异质结有机太阳电池的效率

通过掺杂吸收光谱在可见光波段的量子点可提高聚合物对可见光的吸收,因此掺杂CdSe/ZnS核-壳结构量子点(CQDs)能提高聚(3-己基噻吩):[6,6]-苯基-C61-丁酸甲酯(P3HT:PCBM)体异质结太阳电池的能量转换效率.本文研究了CdSe/ZnS量子点在P3HT:PCBM中的不同掺杂比例及其表面配体对太阳电池光伏性能的影响,优化器件ITO(氧化铟锡)/PEDOT:PSS(聚(3,4-乙撑二氧噻吩:聚苯乙烯磺酸)/P3HT:PCBM:(CdSe/ZnS)/Al的能量转换效率达到了3.99%,与相同条件下没有掺杂量子点的参考器件ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Al相比,其能量转换效率提高了45.1%.     

Chemical Functionalisation and Photoluminescence of Graphene Quantum Dots

Chemical modification of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) can influence their physical and chemical properties; hence, the investigation of the effect of organic functional groups on GQDs is of importance for developing GQD–organic hybrid materials. Three peripherally functionalised GQDs having a third‐generation dendritic wedge (GQD‐ 2 ), long alkyl chains (GQD‐ 3 ) and a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane group (GQD‐ 4 ) were prepared by the Cu^I‐catalysed Huisgen cycloaddition reaction of GQD‐ 1 with organic azides. Cyclic voltammetry indicated that reduction occurred on the surfaces of GQD‐ 1 – 4 and on the five‐membered imide rings at the periphery, and this suggested that the functional groups distort the periphery by steric interactions between neighbouring functional groups. The HOMO–LUMO bandgaps of GQD‐ 1 – 4 were estimated to be approximately 2 eV, and their low‐lying LUMO levels (<?3.9 eV) were lower than that of phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester, an n‐type organic semiconductor. The solubility of GQD‐ 1 – 4 in organic solvents depends on the functional groups present. The functional groups likely cover the surfaces and periphery of the GQDs, and thus increase their affinity for solvent and avoid precipitation. Similar to GQD‐ 2 , both GQD‐ 3 and GQD‐ 4 emitted white light upon excitation at 360 nm. Size‐exclusion chromatography demonstrated that white‐light emission originates from the coexistence of differently sized GQDs that have different photoluminescence emission wavelengths.     

Graphene Field‐Effect Transistors: Electrochemical Gating,Interfacial Capacitance,and Biosensing Applications

Single‐layer graphene has received much attention because of its unique two‐dimensional crystal structure and properties. In this review, we focus on the graphene devices in solution, and their properties that are relevant to chemical and biological applications. We will discuss their charge transport, controlled by electrochemical gates, interfacial and quantum capacitance, charged impurities, and surface potential distribution. The sensitive dependence of graphene charge transport on the surrounding environment points to their potential applications as ultrasensitive chemical sensors and biosensors. The interfacial and quantum capacitance studies are directly relevant to the on‐going effort of creating graphene‐based ultracapacitors for energy storage.     

Capping nanoparticles with graphene quantum dots for enhanced thermoelectric performance

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are shown to serve as phase transfer agents to transfer various types of nanoparticles (NPs) from non-polar to polar solvents. Thorough characterization of the NPs proves complete native ligand exchange. Pellets of this GQD–NP composite show that the GQDs limit the crystal size during spark plasma sintering, yielding enhanced thermoelectric performance compared with NPs exchanged with inorganic ions. A photoluminescence study of the GQD–NP composite also suggests energy transfer from GQDs to NPs.     

Photo-induced ultralong phosphorescence of carbon dots for thermally sensitive dynamic patterning

Stimuli-responsive films with a dynamic long afterglow feature have received considerable attention in the field of optical materials. Herein, we report the unique dynamic ultralong room temperature phosphorescence (URTP) in flexible solid films made of luminescent carbon dots (CDs) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Impressively, fully reversible photo-activation and thermal deactivation of the dynamic long afterglow was achieved in this material, with a lifetime on–off ratio exceeding 3900. Subsequently, ultra-fine URTP patterns (resolution > 1280 dpi) with thermally sensitive retention time were readily photo-printed onto the films and utilized as time–temperature indicating logistics labels with multi-editing capacity. These findings not only enrich the library of dynamic URTP materials, but also extend the scope of the potential applications of luminescent CDs.

A flexible CD–polymer composite with a reversibly editable photo-induced URTP long afterglow was rationally designed and successfully applied in dynamic optical patterning with built-in time–temperature indicating functionality.     

Fabrication of poly(vinyl alcohol)‐graphene quantum dots coated with poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) for supercapacitor

Conducting nanofiber composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was prepared for symmetrical supercapacitor through electrospinning and electropolymerization techniques. The formation of PVA nanofibers with the addition of GQDs was excellently prepared with the average diameter of 55.66 ± 27 nm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images revealed that cauliflower‐like structure of PEDOT was successfully coated on PVA‐GQD electrospun nanofibers. PVA‐GQD/PEDOT nanocomposite exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 291.86 F/g compared with PVA/PEDOT (220.73 F/g) and PEDOT (161.48 F/g). PVA‐GQD/PEDOT also demonstrated a high specific energy and specific power of 16.95 and 984.48 W/kg, respectively, at 2.0 A/g current density. PVA‐GQD/PEDOT exhibited the lowest resistance of charge transfer (R_ct) and equivalent series resistance compared with PEDOT and PVA/PEDOT, indicating that the fast ion diffusion between the electrode and electrolyte interface. PVA‐GQD/PEDOT nanocomposite also showed an excellent stability with retention of 98% after 1000 cycles. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 50–58     

Uniform-dispersed ZnS quantum dots loading on graphene as a promising anode for potassium-ion batteries

The potassium-ion batteries(PIBs) have become the promising energy storage devices due to their relatively moderate cost and plenteous potassium resources.Whereas,the main drawback of PIBs is unsatisfacto ry electrochemical perfo rmance induced by the larger ionic radius of potassium ion.Herein,we report a well-designed,uniform-dispersed,and morphology-controllable zinc sulfide(ZnS) quantum dots loading on graphene as an anode in the PIBs.The directed uniform dispersion of the in-situ growing ZnS quantum dots(～2.8 nm in size) on graphene can mitigate the volume effect during the insertionextraction process and shorten the migration path of potassium ions.As a result,the battery exhibits superior cycling stability(350.4 mAh/g over 200 cycles at 0.1 A/g) and rate performance(98.8 mAh/g at2.0 A/g).We believe the design of active material with quantum dot-minimized size provides a novel route into PIBs and contributes to eliminating the major electrode failure issues of the system.     

Computational studies on the doped graphene quantum dots as potential carriers in drug delivery systems for isoniazid drug

In this study, the application of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and doped GQDs as potential carriers for the delivery of isoniazid (Iso) drug has been investigated, using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. For this purpose, the hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (as a GQD model) and its BN-, BP-, AlN-, and AlP-doped (C₃₆X₃Y₃H₁₈ where X = B, Al and Y = N, P) forms were selected. Our results indicated that the adsorption energies of isoniazid on doped GQDs were more negative than that of pure GQD. Moreover, the calculations showed that adsorption of isoniazid on AlN- and AlP-doped GQDs was thermodynamically favorable. The dipole moments of BP-, AlN-, and AlP-doped GQDs were much greater (5.799, 1.860, and 3.312 D, respectively) than that of pristine GQD (0 D). The AlN-Iso and AlP-Iso complexes had small energy gaps, low chemical potentials, and low global hardnesses, which were appropriate for their attachments to the target site. The nature of interactions was analyzed by the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and noncovalent interaction (NCI) analyses. Overall, the results confirmed that the AlN- and AlP-doped GQDs could be used as potential carriers for drug delivery application.     

Graphene Quantum Dots Modified Screen‐printed Electrodes as Electroanalytical Sensing Platform for Diethylstilbestrol

In present work a simple methodology for electroanalytical sensing of diethylstilbestrol (DES) using graphene quantum dots (GQD) surface modified screen‐printed electrodes (SPE) is reported. GQD was synthesized by simple bottom‐up method based on citric acid pyrolysis at 200 °C and electrodeposited directly at electrode surface under cyclic voltammetric conditions. The obtained GQD presented an average diameter of 7 nm and was characterized by techniques such as transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The proposed sensor exhibits a linear response from 0.05 to 7.5 μmol L^?1, with limit of detection and quantification of 8.8 nmol L^?1 and 29.0 nmol L^?1, respectively. The repeatability study presented RSD=3.6 % for 6 consecutive measurements using the same electrode surface and the reproducibility study showed RSD=6.6 % for measurements with 6 different electrode surfaces. The proposed sensor was successfully applied for DES determination in synthetic urine and tap water spiked samples and good recoveries were obtained without any sample pre‐treatment, showing its promising analytical performance.     

Preparation and formaldehyde sensitive properties of N-GQDs/SnO2 nanocomposite

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have both the properties of graphene and semiconductor quantum dots, and exhibit stronger quantum confinement effect and boundary effect than graphene. In addition, the band gap of GQDs will transform to non-zero from 0 eV of graphene by surface functionalization, which can be dispersed in common solvents and compounded with solid materials. In this work, the SnO₂ nanosheets were prepared by hydrothermal method. As the sensitizer, nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) were prepared and composited with SnO₂ nanosheets. Sensing performance of pristine SnO₂ and N-GQDs/SnO₂ were investigated with HCHO as the target gas. The response (R_a/R_g) of 0.1% N-GQDs/SnO₂ was 256 for 100 ppm HCHO at 60 °C, which was about 2.2 times higher than pristine SnO₂ nanosheet. In addition, the material also had excellent selectivity and low operation temperature. The high sensitivity of N-GQDs/SnO₂ was attributed to the increase of active sites on materials surface and the electrical regulation of N-GQDs. This research is helpful to develop new HCHO gas sensor and expand the application field of GQDs.