Rapid and facile synthesis of graphene oxide quantum dots with good linear and nonlinear optical properties

We herein report a rapid and effective method for the synthesis of graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) with excellent linear and nonlinear optical properties. The GOQDs were prepared by chemical cutting of graphite oxide and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The Commission International de l’Éclairage 1931 chromaticity coordinates for GOQDs (x = 0.21, y = 0.23) demonstrated that highly pure blue-light emission was achieved upon 330 nm excitation wavelength. Optical nonlinearity measurements conducted at 532 nm using 5 ns laser pulses indicated saturable absorption behavior, which tends to the onset of reverse saturable absorption as the input light fluence was increased.