Dynamic rheological measurements indicate that supra-molecules, polymers and carbogenic nanoparticles are generated successively during pyrolysis of citric acid based nanodots.

In this work, few layer graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with a size of 3–5 nm are purposely treated with highly concentrated aqueous NaBH₄ solutions to obtain the reduced graphene quantum dots (rGQDs). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy demonstrate that the number of carbonyl groups decreases but –OH related defects increase during chemical reduction. Green and weak emissions of original GQDs originate from carrier recombination in the disorder-induced localized state (mainly including carbonyl and carboxyl and epoxy groups). As the reduction degree increases, the photoluminescence (PL) quantum efficiency of GQDs increases dramatically from 2.6% to 10.1%. In the meantime, the PL peak position blue shifts rapidly, and full width at half maximum (FWHM) becomes narrower. Thus we can infer that graphenol topological defects (hydroxyl functionalized graphene) are gradually formed during reduction. Besides, graphenol defect related PL features a longer fluorescence lifetime, excitation wavelength dependence but less pH sensitivity.

Fluorophores coupled with supramolecules lead to “dot” topologies in citric-acid derived carbon dots under the effect of hydrogen bonding.