Coal derived graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are a cheap, low toxicity, scalable material with broad absorption and emission bands which make them suitable as solar cell antennae and bioimaging agents. Herein, GQDs are used to chelate Tb3+ and sensitize the 5D to 7F transition. Quantum yield measurements of Tb3+ peaks show an order of magnitude difference in the sensitization power of GQDs across 100 nm of excitation light (Φ250 = 0.0093, Φ350 = 0.00082). This phenomenon is hypothesized to be a result of small organic moieties decorating the surface and edges of the GQDs which have increased UV absorption and triplet excited states. This is also supported by the increase in singlet oxygen production at lower excitation wavelengths (ΦΔ300 = 0.042, ΦΔ350 = 0.026). We anticipate these materials to be useful in the synthesis of new anti-counterfeit dyes.

Sensitization of lanthanides by graphene quantum dots: an exception to Kasha-Vavilov rule?

255th National Meeting (2018)

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