Facile Synthesis of Graphene Quantum Dots from 3D Graphene and their Application for Fe3+Sensing

Owing to their small size, biocompatibility, unique and tunable photoluminescence, and physicochemical properties, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are an emerging class of zero-dimensional materials promising a wide spectrum of novel applications in bio-imaging, optical, and electrochemical sensors, energy devices, and so forth. Their widespread use, however, is largely limited by the current lack of high yield synthesis methods of high-quality GQDs. In this contribution, a facile method to electrochemically exfoliate GQDs from three-dimensional graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is reported. Furthermore, the use of such GQDs for sensitive and specific detection of ferric ions is demonstrated.