Issue 41, 2021

Recent advances in heteroatom-doped graphene quantum dots for sensing applications

Abstract

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are carbon-based fluorescent nanomaterials having various applications due to attractive properties. But the low photoluminescence (PL) yield and monochromatic PL behavior of GQDs put limitations on their real-time applications. Therefore, heteroatom doping of GQDs is recognized as the best approach to modify the optical as well as electronic properties of GQDs by modifying their chemical composition and electronic structure. In this review, the new strategies for preparing the heteroatom (N, B, S, P) doped GQDs by using different precursors and methods are discussed in detail. The particle size, emission wavelength, PL emissive color, and quantum yield of recently developed heteroatom doped GQDs are reported in this article. The investigation of structure, crystalline nature, and composition of heteroatom doped GQDs by various characterization techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are also described. The recent progress on the impact of mono or co-doping of heteroatoms on PL behavior, and optical, electrochemiluminescence (ECL), and electrochemical properties of GQDs is also surveyed. Further, heteroatom doped GQDs with attractive properties used in sensing of various metal ions, biomolecules, small organic molecules, etc. by using various techniques with different limits of detection are also summarized. This review provides progressive trends in the development of heteroatom doped GQDs and their various applications.

Graphical abstract: Recent advances in heteroatom-doped graphene quantum dots for sensing applications

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
01 Jun 2021
Accepted
19 Jul 2021
First published
23 Jul 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2021,11, 25586-25615

Recent advances in heteroatom-doped graphene quantum dots for sensing applications

N. Sohal, B. Maity and S. Basu, RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 25586 DOI: 10.1039/D1RA04248C

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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