Engineering of luminescent graphene quantum dot-gold (GQD-Au) hybrid nanoparticles for functional applications

Shikha Wadhwa; Alishba T John; Ashish Mathur; Manika Khanuja; Gourav Bhattacharya; Susanta S Roy; Sekhar C Ray

doi:10.1016/j.mex.2020.100963

Engineering of luminescent graphene quantum dot-gold (GQD-Au) hybrid nanoparticles for functional applications

MethodsX. 2020 Jun 17:7:100963. doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2020.100963. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Shikha Wadhwa¹, Alishba T John¹, Ashish Mathur¹, Manika Khanuja², Gourav Bhattacharya³, Susanta S Roy³, Sekhar C Ray⁴

Affiliations

¹ Amity Institute of Nanotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201313, India.
² Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi110025, India.
³ Shiv Nadar University, Dadri, Gautam Budhha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh 201314, India.
⁴ Department of Physics (CSET), University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Florida Science Campus, Florida -1710, Christiaan de Wet and Pioneer Avenue, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Abstract

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) possess excellent optical and electrical properties that can be used in a wide variety of application. Synthesis of hybrid nanoparticles with GQDs have been known to improve the properties further. Therefore, in this method, graphene quantum dots -gold (GQD-Au) hybrid nanoparticles were synthesized using GQDs which reduces HAuCl_4.3H₂O to Au nanoparticles on its surface at room temperature. The GQDs with self-passivated layers were synthesized by microwave assisted hydrothermal method using glucose as a single precursor. The synthesis process does not involve the use of harmful chemicals. The whole synthesis process of GQD and GQD-Au hybrid nanoparticles takes only five minutes. The synthesized GQDs have been extracted using citrate in order to increase the stability of the hybrid nanoparticles for up to four weeks. The size of the synthesized GQD-Au hybrid nanoparticles is in the range of 5-100 nm and were found to be luminescent under UV-A illumination. The merit of the following method over other synthesis techniques include its rapidity, ease of preparation, and no requirement of elaborate synthesis procedures and/or harmful chemicals. The GQD-Au hybrid nanoparticles can be used in several applications such as luminescent coatings for glass and windowpanes for automobiles, etc. The reducing property of GQDs can further be utilized for the reduction of various metal salts (AgNO₃) and organic dyes (methylene blue and methyl orange). . It presents a method/protocol-development of the luminescent GQD-Au hybrid particles of size ~ 5-100 nm. . The GQD-Au hybrid particles find potential applications in luminescent coating applications.

Keywords: GQD-Au; Reduction of metal salts and organic dyes; Wastewater treatment.