Hydrothermal/Solvothermal Synthesis of Graphene Quantum Dots and Their Biological Applications

Abstract

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), as a new class of zero dimensional fluorescent carbon material, have been used in physical, chemical and biological aspects for many interesting properties, such as low toxicity, excellent solubility, high chemical stability, and good surface activity. As a green synthetic method, hydrothermal/solvothermal technology has been applied to effectively control characteristics of GQDs. In this review, we summarize recent work on the hydrothermal/solvothermal synthesis of GQDs and their emerging biological applications.