The layer stacking morphology in nanocarbons is paramount for achieving new properties and outperforming applications. Here, we demonstrate that graphene quantum dots (GQDs) retain crystallinity and a stacking structure from CVD graphene grown on Ni foam. Our results reveal that GQD subdomains comprise a few-layer graphene structure in the AB -- AB and ABC -- ABC stacking configuration. HR-TEM images along with a multiple-approach characterization (XRD, XPS, UV-vis, AFM, and ATR-IR) exhibit 3.0 to 8.0 nm crystalline GQDs with 2-6 graphene layers thick indicating a disk-shape structure. The UV-vis profiles show changes in color of the dispersion (from colorless to red) during and after the electrochemistry, suggesting a systematic electrooxidation of graphene into smaller, highly crystalline, and more complex sp2/sp3 structures. Importantly, a control experiment performed under the same conditions but with a graphitic rod exhibited large, polydisperse, and multilayer carbon structures. This work demonstrates a relatively easy electrochemical synthesis to obtain GQDs which retain the pristine and, in turn, distinctive structure of graphene grown on Ni foam.
@article{arxiv.2403.11922,
title = {Stacking-Configuration-Preserved Graphene Quantum Dots Electrochemically Obtained from CVD Graphene},
author = {Santiago D. Barrionuevo and Federico Fioravanti and Jorge M. Nuñez and David Muñeton Arboleda and Gabriela I. Lacconi and Martin G. Bellino and Myriam H. Aguirre and Francisco J. Ibañez},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2403.11922},
year = {2024}
}