Photoluminescence Quenching in Metal Ion (Cu2+, Co2+) Interacted Graphene Quantum Dots

Abstract

Graphene quantum dots (GQD) are nanosized fragments of graphene with finite band gap. Thus, GQDs show excellent photoluminescence (PL) and also possess good electrochemical properties. In the present study, we synthesized GQDs via hydrothermal (HT) method using Graphene oxide as prepared from improved Hummer's method as a precursor with several modifications. The effect of the variation in the photoluminescence and electrochemical properties of the as-prepared GQDs were studied. Average particle size of the as-synthesized GQDs was roughly 30 nm and produced blue PL on excitation with a wavelength of 365 nm. On reacting the GQDs with Cupric Nitrate and Cobalt Nitrate in separate batches, a significant decrease in the intensity of PL was observed. This quenching of PL of GQDs has been utilized in the qualitative estimation of Metal ion (Cu2+ and Co2+) species in aqueous media. 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim