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Effects of low gamma irradiation dose on the photoluminescence properties of graphene quantum dots

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Abstract

We prepared graphene quantum dots (GQDs) using electrochemical approach. The luminescent properties of GQDs at various excitation wavelengths are examined. In order to study the possibility to improve these properties, we applied a low dose of gamma irradiation (15 kGy) on GQDs dissolved in two media: water and 4 % isopropyl alcohol solution. Upon gamma irradiation of water, various free radical species are formed and they usually cause oxidation. In the presence of isopropyl alcohol in water, during irradiation, oxygen contained radicals are quenched and only hydrogen radicals can survive and reduce the material exposed to irradiation. Morphology of GQDs is examined by atomic force and transmission electron microscopy. After gamma irradiation the increase of photoluminescence was noticed for both GQD samples. A higher intensity of photoluminescence is detected for GQDs irradiated in 4 % isopropyl alcohol solution. This result shows that further increase of gamma irradiation dose has a great potential for improvement of luminescence properties of GQDs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia for financial support through national Project (Number 172003) and bilateral collaboration project Serbia-Slovakia SK-SRB-2013-0044 (451-03-545/2015-09/07). We acknowledge PhD Aurelio Bonasera for TEM measurements and valuable comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovića Alasa 12-14, Belgrade, 11001, Serbia

    Svetlana Jovanović, Zoran Marković, Milica Budimir, Bojan Vidoeski & Biljana Todorović Marković

  2. Polymer Institute Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Zoran Marković & Zdenko Spitalsky

Authors
  1. Svetlana Jovanović
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  2. Zoran Marković
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  3. Milica Budimir
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  4. Zdenko Spitalsky
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  5. Bojan Vidoeski
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  6. Biljana Todorović Marković
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Correspondence to Svetlana Jovanović.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Advances in the science of light.

Guest Edited by Jelena Radovanovic, Milutin Stepić, Mikhail Sumetsky, Mauro Pereira and Dragan Indjin.

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Jovanović, S., Marković, Z., Budimir, M. et al. Effects of low gamma irradiation dose on the photoluminescence properties of graphene quantum dots. Opt Quant Electron 48, 259 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-016-0516-z

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