Ultrafast generation of highly crystalline graphene quantum dots from graphite paper via laser writing

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are attractive fluorescent nanoparticles that have wide applicability, are inexpensive, nontoxic, photostable, water-dispersible, biocompatible and environmental-friendly. Various strategies for the synthesis of GQDs have been reported. However, simple and efficient methods of producing GQDs with control over the size of the GQDs, and hence their optical properties, are sorely needed. Herein, an ultra-fast and efficient laser writing technique is presented as a means to produce GQDs with homogeneous size from graphene produced by the instantaneous photothermal gasification and recrystallization mechanism. Controlling the laser scan speed and output power, the yield of GQDs can reach to be about 31.458 mg/s, which shows promising potential for large-scale production. The entire process eliminates the need for chemical solvents or any other reagents. Notably, the prepared laser writing produced GQDs (LWP-GQDs) exhibit blue fluorescence under UV irradiation of 365 nm and the Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates is measured at (0.1721, 0.123). Overall, this method exhibits superior advantages over the complex procedures and low yields required by other existing methods, and thus has great potential for the commercial applications.