title: Toward combining graphene and QDs: assembling CdTe QDs to exfoliated graphite and nanographene in water.
abstract: Herein, we report for the first time on a full-fledged investigation of water-soluble CdTe quantum dots (QD) that are immobilized onto exfoliated graphite (EG) and/or nanographene (NG). Particular emphasis was placed on a top-down preparation of stable aqueous dispersions-starting from natural graphite rather than graphene oxide-while preserving the intrinsic properties of graphene. To this end, we circumvented the harsh conditions commonly employed for the pre-exfoliation (i.e., Hummers method). First, a hydrophobic-hydrophobic/π-π stacking motif was tested between EG and pyrene, to which QDs are covalently attached (QD-pyrene). Second, we employed the combination of hydrophobic-hydrophobic/π-π stacking and electrostatic interactions to build up hierarchical structures composed of NG, positively charged pyrene (pyrene(+)), and negatively charged QDs. The novel nanohybrids-QD-pyrene/EG and QD/pyrene(+)/NG-were characterized with specific emphasis on electron-transfer chemistry. In fact, both assays provide kinetic and spectroscopic evidence that support electron transfer dynamics that vary, however, between EG and NG as a reflection of the different degree of graphite exfoliation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstraße 3, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Katsukis
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malig
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schulz-Drost
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leubner
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jux
authors.forename: Dirk M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Guldi