Graphene quantum dots sensor for the determination of graphene oxide in environmental water samples

The paper proposes a simple and sensitive approach for the preconcentration and determination of graphene oxide (GO) in environmental samples by using fluorescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs). The method is based on the preconcentration of GO on a cellulose membrane and their subsequent elution prior to fluorescence analysis of the quenching effect produced on the GQD solution due to the hydrophobic interactions between GO and GQDs. The limit of detection was 35 μg·L(-1). The precision, for a 200 μg·L(-1) concentration of GO, is 5.16%. The optimized procedure has been successively applied to the determination of traces of GO in river water samples.