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 ∼347 nm. 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.