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Bottom‐Up Fabrication of Single‐Layered Nitrogen‐Doped Graphene Quantum Dots through Intermolecular Carbonization Arrayed in a 2D Plane
Author(s) -
Li Rui,
Liu Yousong,
Li Zhaoqian,
Shen Jinpeng,
Yang Yuntao,
Cui Xudong,
Yang Guangcheng
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201503191
Subject(s) - tatb , carbonization , materials science , intermolecular force , graphene , nitrogen , nanotechnology , quantum dot , chemical engineering , solubility , fabrication , doping , optoelectronics , organic chemistry , composite material , chemistry , molecule , scanning electron microscope , medicine , detonation , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering , explosive material
A single‐layered intermolecular carbonization method was applied to synthesize single‐layered nitrogen‐doped graphene quantum dots (N‐GQDs) by using 1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene (TATB) as the only precursor. In this method, the gas produced in the pyrolysis of TATB assists with speeding up of the reactions and expanding the layered distance, so that it facilitates the formation of single‐layered N‐GQDs (about 80 %). The symmetric intermolecular carbonizations of TATB arrayed in a plane and six nitrogen‐containing groups ensure small, uniform sizes (2–5 nm) of the resulting products, and provide high nitrogen‐doping concentrations (N/C atomic ratio ca. 10.6 %). In addition to release of the produced gas, TATB is almost completely converted into aggregated N‐GQDs; thus, relatively higher production rates are possible with this approach. Investigations show that the as‐produced N‐GQDs have superior fluorescent characteristics; high water solubility, biocompatibility, and low toxicity; and are ready for potential applications, such as biomedical imaging and optoelectronic devices.