Synthesis and Characterization of a Highly Biocompatible Carbon Material: Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots
Joed Ortiz-Santiago, Paola Carrion-Colon, Reynaldo Carrasquillo-De Jesus and Lisandro Cunci
Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots (GOQD) is a nanomaterial produced by a strong acid reaction in which carbon-based nanoparticles are exfoliated. GOQD have a size of ca. 10 nm, which have the potential to serve as a fluorescent agent for drug delivery, tumor detection and environmental remediation. Their color depend on their size with bigger nanoparticles emitting lower energy photons. Also, GOQD exhibit high biocompatibility in mammal cells. Our work is focused on optimizing the methodology of the synthesis of this material to obtain a higher yield while characterizing their physical and chemical properties. In order to achieve this, we have made modifications to the synthesis changing the time as well as the acids used. The material obtained was exposed to a UV Lamp to confirm their fluorescence. A microplate reader was used to characterize their fluorescence using emission wavelengths ranged between 350 and 790 nm, showing a constant fluorescence peak at 550 nm. Raman spectroscopy was used to verify the completion of our synthesis, X-ray Diffraction was used to confirm the structure and purity of the sample, and the Atomic Force Microscopy was used to confirm the particle size. Our synthesis lasted an average of 4 hours approximately, reducing the production period from 4 days.