Graphene (G)-based nanocomposites have received much attention in various disciplines due to their high specific surface area, good compatibility, low mass density, elegant flexibility as well as the excellent synergistic effect of G with other nanomaterials. Numerous studies have been carried out to fabricate G-based polymer composites with novel and improved properties. However, the dispersion behavior of G in a polymer matrix and the interfacial bonding between G and polymers still restrict the better performances and broader applications of the fabricated G–polymer nanocomposites. In this review, we have summarized the most recent studies on the modification of G with polymers and the subsequent synthesis and applications of high quality G–polymer nanocomposites. The strategies for surface modification of G with polymers, including various covalent and non-covalent techniques, are introduced in detail. In addition, a series of effective processing routes for producing high quality G–polymer nanocomposites, such as melt compounding, solution blending, in situ polymerization, latex mixing, and electropolymerization, are introduced and discussed. Finally, the potential applications of the synthesized G–polymer nanocomposites in electrocatalysts, drug delivery, high performance materials, biosensors, and biomedical materials are presented.

We presented the technical synthesis of MoS ₂ -based nanomaterials and their potential applications in high-performance sensors.

Graphene-based materials have attracted increasing attention due to their atomically-thick two-dimensional structures, high conductivity, excellent mechanical properties, and large specific surface areas. The combination of biomolecules with graphene-based materials offers a promising method to fabricate novel graphene–biomolecule hybrid nanomaterials with unique functions in biology, medicine, nanotechnology, and materials science. In this review, we focus on a summarization of the recent studies in functionalizing graphene-based materials using different biomolecules, such as DNA, peptides, proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates, and viruses. The different interactions between graphene and biomolecules at the molecular level are demonstrated and discussed in detail. In addition, the potential applications of the created graphene–biomolecule nanohybrids in drug delivery, cancer treatment, tissue engineering, biosensors, bioimaging, energy materials, and other nanotechnological applications are presented. This review will be helpful to know the modification of graphene with biomolecules, understand the interactions between graphene and biomolecules at the molecular level, and design functional graphene-based nanomaterials with unique properties for various applications.

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have become increasingly important for applications in energy materials, optical devices and biosensors. Here we report a facile technique to fabricate a nanofibrous membrane of GQDs by electrospinning water-soluble GQDs with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) directly. The structure and fluorescence properties of the fabricated PVA/GQD nanofibrous membrane were investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. It was found that the electrospun PVA/GQD nanofibrous membrane has a three-dimensional structure with a high surface area to volume ratio, which is beneficial for the adsorption of electrolytes and the diffusion of reactants. For the first time, the created PVA/GQD nanofibrous membrane was utilized to fabricate dual-purpose fluorescent and electrochemical biosensors for highly sensitive determination of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and glucose. The experimental results indicated that the fluorescence intensity of the nanofibrous membrane decreased linearly with increasing H₂O₂ concentration, because the addition of H₂O₂ leads to fluorescence quenching of the GQDs, which endows the fabricated nanofibrous membrane with fluorescence activity. Besides, after binding glucose oxidase onto the created nanofibrous membrane, the fabricated nanofibrous membrane showed high sensitivity and selectivity for glucose detection. In addition, the PVA/GQD nanofibrous membrane can also be directly electrospun onto an electrode for electrochemical detection of H₂O₂. This novel nanofibrous membrane exhibits excellent catalytic performance and fluorescence activity, and therefore has potential applications for the highly stable, sensitive, and selective detection of H₂O₂ and glucose.

A comprehensive review on the technical synthesis and biomedical applications of graphene quantum dots was presented.