Electrolytic Effect on Growth

of Carbon Quantum Dots via

Electrochemical Process
Rangsan Panyathip, Thanakrit Sintiam, Sorawit Weerapong, Pisist Kumnorkaew, Supab Choopun
and Sukrit Sucharitakul*
APRL
Smart Mats
Abstract
Quantum dots (QDs) are materials grown in confined dimension and can sometimes be referred as 0D materials. QDs can be synthesized in many shapes and
forms through various methods making the materials form extremely versatile and can be fine-tuned for appropriate applications. Carbon being one of the most
abundant forms of materials on earth makes one of the perfect platforms for QDs growth as graphene possesses extremely favorable electronic, optical and
mechanical properties. In order to produce high quality QDs in mass scale, Electrochemical process is considered as one of the bottom-up approaches with highest
potential for scalability and easy-to-process methodology while electrolyte and pH level can play various important roles on the final product. In this work, we
grew and studied the effect of electrolytic solution in the growth of carbon-based QDs in colloidal forms using cheap graphite as precursor in KCl and NaOH as
electrolytes in various concentration. Optoelectrical properties of the resulting materials were observed and analyzed further shedding light into the growth
mechanism in addition to the materials stability and hydrodynamic size. Although our TEM results did not suggest that the physical size of the QDs changed
appreciably with the electrolyte’s condition, however, the hydrodynamic size, pH level and materials’ stability in colloidal form can be strongly tuned by
electrolyte’s condition. Our results could provide insights and suggestions for the utility of the carbon-based QDs in various application requiring different
hydrodynamic parameters and pH level.
 
Keyword: Quantum Dots, Carbon, NaOH, KCl, Electrochemical Process
 
*Corresponding author and speaker, e-mail: sukrit.sucharitakul@cmu.ac.th
Intro and major refs
• Graphene
• Strong
• Good electrical property
• Biologically friendly
• QDs
• Bohr radius
• Preparation method
• ECDs
• Top-Down, Bottom-Up
• GQDs
• Applications
• Biosensors
• Perovskite solar cells
• Drug delivery
• Solvent is important!!!

• pH level and GQDs

• Ashwir did not study
• We tried
 a.) Schematics of GQDs growth setups, b) mechanism of GQDs growth via ECD process, c.)
resulting growths with varying electrolyte concentration and d.) color schemes for colloidal
Figure 1 solution grown from different condition.

a.) c.) KCl NaOH

d.)
b.)
KCl

NaOH
Figure 1 points and major refs
• Intercalation
• Electrochemical setup
• Color of the electrolyte
• Insert a table with pH values
• Discuss the effect of pH values on zeta pot
Figure 2
a.) pH value of the resulting colloidal obtained at different electrolyte concentration and b.)
zeta potential and hydrodynamic size plotted as function of pH level (raw data in Figure S1).

a.) b.)
Figure 2 points and major refs
• 0.3M is the point of equilibrium
• NaOH has higher pH level
• KCl, lack of OH during intercalation
• Lower pH
• Bad citrate ions decomposition
 a.) General TEM image at the 200k magnification of dried
GQDs, b.) histrogram obtained using ImageJ analysis, c.)

Figure 3 average particle size from TEM results for different growth
conditions, d.) HRTEM image of GQDs and e.) SAED analysis
a.) on the grown GQDs.
c.)

b.)
Figure 3 points and major refs
• Confirmed d-spacing for GQDs
• Crystal structure verified
• Core size 1.7-3.7nm
 Figure 4
a.) b.)

ults GQDs grown with a.) KCl and b.) NaOH as electrolyte of
nt concentration and c.) conclusion of PL peak locations from c.)
nt growth conditions.
Figure 4 points and major refs
• PL peaks
• Pi-pi* band
• 500ish nm
• Yellow
• Absorption band edge
• Tunable with ions
Conclusion
• GQDs confirmed
• Large range of pH
• Large range of energy level
Figure S1 a.) Zeta potential, b.) and hydrodynamic size of theresulting colloidal obtained at
different electrolyte concentration.

a.) b.)
 Supplementary info
• Pending a.) b.)

S2 Tauc plot of UV-Vis absorption spectra for GQDs grown with a.)
and b.) KCl as electrolyte of different concentration. and c.)
sion of PL peak locations and absorption band edge obtained from
ots at different growth conditions.