Graphdiyne:Structure of Fluorescent Quantum Dots

Graphdiyne (GDY) as an emerging two-dimensional carbon allotrope exhibits excellent performance in energy chemistry, catalytic chemistry, optoelectronics, electronics, etc. because of the unique structure combining an sp- and sp(2)-hybrid carbon network. However, the poor solubility of pristine GDY is a major obstacle to its applications in many fields. Proposed here is a facile strategy to control the preparation of GDY quantum dots (GDY-Py QDs), in which pyrene groups are covalently linked to GDY by using a Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. The as-prepared GDY-Py QDs, with an average diameter of about 3 +/- 0.1 nm, show superior dispersibility in many organic solvents and water. The GDY-Py QDs display not only bright fluorescent with a high relative quantum yield (QY) of 42.82 %, but they are also well-behaved as contrast agents in cell imaging. The GDY-Py QDs are bestowed with high stability and non-cytotoxicity, and exhibit long fluorescent times, and have potential for optical imaging and biomedical applications.