First Elucidation of the Mechanism for Physical Fabrication of 'Graphene Quantum Dots'

by Hwang Junho

Published 05 Nov.2020 09:33(KST)

World's First Elucidation of the Manufacturing Mechanism of Graphene Quantum Dots by Physical Methods

Graphene Quantum Dots, the Dream Nanomaterial, Establish New Scientific Evidence

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] When graphene, known as the "dream material" leading the next-generation materials industry due to its excellent thermal and electrical conductivity and transparency, is reduced to nanometer size, it exhibits semiconductor properties that emit light when current flows or light is shone on it.

This is called graphene quantum dots, and a research team led by Dr. Kangmin Kim of the Functional Materials and Components Research Group at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology has, for the first time in the world, elucidated the principle of producing graphene quantum dots from carbon nanotubes using a physical method involving pulse lasers.

The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology announced on the 5th that Dr. Kim's related paper was published as the cover article in Small, an international journal in the field of nanomaterials.

The research team revealed that beyond certain pulse laser conditions, an amorphous carbon structure is ultimately formed. Utilizing this, the pulse laser-based carbon nanomaterial fabrication process can be designed more precisely. Surface morphology control and combination with various heterogeneous materials also become possible.

Dr. Kangmin Kim stated, "This achievement is expected to have a ripple effect in new industrial fields such as low-cost, high-efficiency hydrogen catalysts, energy harvesting, and ultra-precise biosensors."

For this research, the team used molecular dynamics computer simulations. They closely observed the entire process in which carbon nanotubes sequentially decompose as pulse laser energy increases, resulting in the production of nanometer-sized graphene quantum dots.

Dr. Kim said, "We have currently filed related patents and plan to continue improving material properties to develop this into a commercial technology."

Dr. Kangmin Kim, Researcher Seokhyun Kang, Dr. Kyunghwan Jeong, Functional Materials and Components Research Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology