Abstract
In this work, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) synthesized by femtosecond laser ablation in liquid (LAL) using laser-induced graphene (LIG) as the carbon source. Nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) were successfully synthesized by adding ammonia water to the graphene suspension. The GQDs/N-GQDs structure consist of a graphitic core with oxygen and nitrogen functionalities and particle size less than 10 nm, as demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier infrared spectrometer spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The absorption peak and PL spectrum and quantum yield of the N-GQDs were significantly enhanced compared with the undoped GQDs. Further, the possible mechanism of synthesis GQDs is discussed. Furthermore, the N-GQDs were used as a fluorescent probe for detection of Fe3+ ions. The N-GQDs may extend the application of graphene-based materials to bioimaging, sensor and, photoelectronic.