Hydrothermal Route for Cutting Graphene Sheets into Blue‐Luminescent Graphene Quantum Dots

Water-soluble graphene quantum dots (GQDs, ca. 10 nm in diameter) that exhibit bright blue photoluminescence (PL) are prepared by hydrothermal (chemical) cutting of oxidized graphene sheets (see figure). The mechanisms of the cutting and luminescence are discussed. This discovery of PL of GQDs may extend the range of application of graphene-based materials to optoelectronics and biological labeling.