Facile synthesis of amine-functionalized graphene quantum dots with highly pH-sensitive photoluminescence

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as promising materials have gained increasing attention due to their optical and chemical properties, but the complicated synthetic procedures restrict their large-scale application. Here we report a novel one-pot hydrothermal method to synthesize the GQDs with bifunctional groups (-OH and -NH₂) using a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon as the precursor, in which 1,5-dinitronaphthalene was graphitized in aqueous ammonium solution. The as-synthesized GQDs with single-layer structures have a size distribution of 1–3 nm and an average value of 1.5 nm. The alkaline species play a crucial role in the formation of amine-functionalized GQDs. More importantly, the as-synthesized GQDs exhibit a distinct pH-sensitive photoluminescence and the fluorescence colors vary from bluish green to yellow with pH value from 5 to 10, which can be attributed to the protonation and deprotonation of the amine-groups in acid or alkaline solution.