• Applied Science and Convergence Technology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.111-116
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• 2015

The graphene oxide (GO) and graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs), which have gained research interest as new types of light-emitting materials, were synthesized by the modified Hummers method for oxidation of graphite flake and graphite nanoparticle. The optical properties of GO and GOQDs have been compared by mean of photoluminescence (PL), PL excitation (PLE), UV-vis absorbance, and time-resolved PL. The GO have an absorption peak at 229 nm and shoulder part at 310 nm, whereas the GOQDs show broad absorption with a gradual change up without any absorption peaks. The PL emission of GOQDs and GO showed the green color at 520 nm and the red color at 690 nm, respectively. The red emission of GO showed faster PL decay time than the green emission of GOQDs. In particular, the temporal PL profile of the GO showed redshift from 560 nm to 660 nm after the pump event.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.222.1-222.1
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• 2015

Recently, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have attracted great attention due to various properties including cost-effectiveness of synthesis, low toxicity, and high photostability. Nevertheless, the origins of photoluminescence (PL) from GQDs are unclear because of extrinsic states of the impurities, disorder structures, and oxygen-functional groups. Therefore, to utilize GQDs in various applications, their optical properties generated from the extrinsic states should be understood. In this work, we have focused on the effect of oxygen-functional groups in PL of the GQDs. The GQDs with nanoscale and single layer are synthesized by employing graphite nanoparticles (GNPs) with 4 nm. The series of GQDs with different amount of oxygen-functional groups were prepared by the chain of chemical oxidation and reduction process. The fabrication of a series of graphene oxide QDs (GOQDs) with different amounts of oxygen-contents is first reported by a direct oxidation route of GNPs. In addition, for preparing a series of reduced GOQDs (rGOQDs), we employed the conventional chemical reduction to GOQDs solution and controlled the amount of reduction agents. The GOQDs and rGOQDs showed irreversible PL properties even though both routes have similar amount of oxyen-functional groups. In the case of a series of GOQDs, the PL spectrum was clearly redshifted into blue and green-yellowish color. On the other hand, the PL spectrum of rGOQDs did not change significantly. By various optical measurement such as the PL excitation, UV-vis absorbance, and time-resolved PL, we could verify that their PL mechanisms of GOQDs and rGOQDs are closely associated with different atomic structures formed by chemical oxidation and reduction. Our study provides an important insights for understanding the optical properties of GQDs affected by oxygen-functional groups. [1]

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.240.2-240.2
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• 2013

The device scale of flash memory was confronted with quantum mechanical limitation. The next generation memory device will be required a break-through for the device scaling problem. Especially, graphene is one of important materials to overcome scaling and operation problem for the memory device, because ofthe high carrier mobility, the mechanicalflexibility, the one atomic layer thick and versatile chemistry. We demonstrate the hybrid memory consisted with the metal-oxide quantum dots and the mono-layered graphene which was transferred to $SiO_2$ (5 nm)/Si substrate. The 5-nm thick secondary $SiO_2$ layer was deposited on the mono-layered graphene by using ultra-high vacuum sputtering system which base pressure is about $1{\times}10^{-10}$ Torr. The $In_2O_3$ quantum dots were distributed on the secondary $SiO_2$2 layer after chemical reaction between deposited In layer and polyamic acid layer through soft baking at $125^{\circ}C$ for 30 min and curing process at $400^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr by using the furnace in $N_2$ ambient. The memory devices with the $In_2O_3$ quantum dots on graphene monolayer between $SiO_2$ thin films have demonstrated and evaluated for the application of next generation nonvolatile memory device. We will discuss the electrical properties to understating memory effect related with quantum mechanical transport between the $In_2O_3$ quantum dots and the Fermi level of graphene layer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.65-65
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• 2015

In this talk, I will introduce two topics. The first topic is the polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs) using graphene oxide quantum dots as emissive center. More specifically, the energy transfer mechanism as well as the origin of white electroluminescence in the PLED were investigated. The second topic is the facile synthesis of eco-friendly III-V colloidal quantum dots and their application to light emitting diodes. Polymer (organic) light emitting diodes (PLEDs) using quantum dots (QDs) as emissive materials have received much attention as promising components for next-generation displays. Despite their outstanding properties, toxic and hazardous nature of QDs is a serious impediment to their use in future eco-friendly opto-electronic device applications. Owing to the desires to develop new types of nanomaterial without health and environmental effects but with strong opto-electrical properties similar to QDs, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have attracted great interest as promising luminophores. However, the origin of electroluminescence (EL) from GQDs incorporated PLEDs is unclear. Herein, we synthesized graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) using a modified hydrothermal deoxidization method and characterized the PLED performance using GOQDs blended poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVK) as emissive layer. Simple device structure was used to reveal the origin of EL by excluding the contribution of and contamination from other layers. The energy transfer and interaction between the PVK host and GOQDs guest were investigated using steady-state PL, time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Experiments revealed that white EL emission from the PLED originated from the hybridized GOQD-PVK complex emission with the contributions from the individual GOQDs and PVK emissions. (Sci Rep., 5, 11032, 2015). New III-V colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized using the hot-injection method and the QD-light emitting diodes (QLEDs) using these CQDs as emissive layer were demonstrated for the first time. The band gaps of the III-V CQDs were varied by varying the metal fraction and by particle size control. The X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) results show that the crystal states of the III-V CQDs consist of multi-phase states; multi-peak photoluminescence (PL) resulted from these multi-phase states. Inverted structured QLED shows green EL emission and a maximum luminance of ~45 cd/m2. This result shows that III-V CQDs can be a good substitute for conventional cadmium-containing CQDs in various opto-electronic applications, e.g., eco-friendly displays. (Un-published results).

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.293-306
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• 2020

Increasing harmful effects of climate change, such as its effect on water scarcity, has led to a focus on developing effective water purification methods to obtain pure water. Additionally, rising levels of water pollution is increasing levels of environmental degradation, calling for sources of water treatment to remove contaminants. To purify water, osmotic processes across a semipermeable membrane can take place, and recent studies are showing that incorporating nanoparticles, including carbon quantum dots (CQDs), graphene carbon dots (GQDs), and graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) are making thin film composite (TFC) membranes more effective by increasing water flux while maintaining similar levels of salt rejection, increasing the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface, showing bactericidal properties, exhibiting antifouling properties to prevent accumulation of bacteria or other microorganisms from reducing the effectiveness of the membrane, and more. In the review, the synthesis process, applications, functionality, properties, and the role of several types of quantum dots are discussed in the composite membrane for water purification.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2016

In this study $TiO_2$/reduced graphene oxide ($TiO_2/rGO$) bipyramid with tunable nanostructure was fabricated by two-step solvothermal process and subsequent heat-treatment in air. The as-synthesized anatase $TiO_2$ nanocrystals possessed morphological bipyramid with exposed dominantly by (101) facets. Polyethylenimine was utilized during the combination of $TiO_2$ and graphene oxide (GO) to tune the surface charge, hindering the restack of graphene during solvothermal process and resulting in 1 to 5 layers of rGO wrapped on $TiO_2$ surface. After a further calcination, a portion of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with a diameter about 2 nm were produced owing to the oxidizing and cutting of rGO on $TiO_2$. The as-prepared $TiO_2/rGO$ hybrid showed a highly photocatalytic activity, which is about 3.2 and 7.7 times enhancement for photodegradation of methyl orange with compared to pure $TiO_2$ and P25, respectively. We assume that the improvement of photocatalysis is attributed to the chemical bonding between rGO/CQDs and $TiO_2$ that accelerates photogenerated electron-hole pair separation, as well as enhances light harvest.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.189-189
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• 2016

Recently, many researchers have shown an increased interest in colloidal quantum dots (QDs) due to their unique physical and optical properties of size control for energy band gap, narrow emission with small full width at half maxima (FWHM), broad spectral photo response from ultraviolet to infrared, and flexible solution processing. QDs can be widely used in the field of optoelectronic and biological applications and, in particular, colloidal QDs based light emitting diodes (QDLEDs) have attracted considerable attention as an emerging technology for next generation displays and solid state lighting. A few methods have been proposed to fabricate white color QDLEDs. However, the fabrication of white color QDLEDs using single QD is very challenging. Recently, hybrid nanocomposites consisting of CdTe/ZnO heterostructures were reported by Zhimin Yuan et al.[1] Here, we demonstrate a novel but facile technique for the synthesis of CdTe/ZnO/G.O(graphene oxide) quasi-core-shell-shell quantum dots that are applied in the white color LED devices. Our best device achieves a maximum luminance of 484.2 cd/m2 and CIE coordinates (0.35, 0.28).

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.281.2-281.2
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• 2013

Since heavy metal ions included in water or food resources have critical effects on human health, highly sensitive, rapid and selective analysis for heavy metal detection has been extensively explored by means of electrochemical, optical and colorimetric methods. For example, quantum dots (QDs), such as semiconductor QDs, have received enormous attention due to extraordinary optical properties including high fluorescence intensity and its narrow emission peaks, and have been utilized for heavy metal ion detection. However, the semiconductor QDs have a drawback of serious toxicity derived from cadmium, lead and other lethal elements, thereby limiting its application in the environmental screening system. On the other hand, Graphene oxide (GO) has proven its superlative properties of biocompatibility, unique photoluminescence (PL), good quenching efficiency and facile surface modification. Recently, the size of GO was controlled to a few nanometers, enhancing its optical properties to be applied for biological or chemical sensors. Interestingly, the presence of various oxygenous functional groups of GO contributes to opening the band gap of graphene, resulting in a unique PL emission pattern, and the control of the sp2 domain in the sp3 matrix of GO can tune the PL intensity as well as the PL emission wavelength. Herein, we reported a photoluminescent GO array on which heavy metal ion-specific DNA aptamers were immobilized, and sensitive and multiplex heavy metal ion detection was performed utilizing fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the photoluminescent monolayered GO and the captured metal ion.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.400.1-400.1
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• 2016

Interfacial engineering approaches as an efficient strategy for improving the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of inverted polymer solar cells (iPSCs) has attracted considerable attention. Recently, polymer surface modifiers, such as poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE), were introduced to produce low WF electrodes and were reported to have good electron selectivity for inverted polymer solar cells (iPSCs) without an n-type metal oxide layer. To obtain more efficient solar cells, quantum dots (QDs) are used as effective sensitizers across a broad spectral range from visible to near IR. Additionally, they have the ability to efficiently generate multiple excitons from a single photon via a process called carrier multiplication (CM) or multiple exciton generation (MEG). However, in general, it is very difficult to prepare a bilayer structure with an organic layer and a QD interlayer through a solution process, because most solvents can dissolve and destroy the organic layer and QD interlayer. To present a more effective strategy for surpassing the limitations of traditional methods, we studied and fabricated the highly efficient iPSCs with mono-layered QDs as an effective multi-functional layer, to enhance the quantum yield caused by various effects of QDs monolayer. The mono-layered QDs play the multi-functional role as surface modifier, sub-photosensitizer and electron transport layer. Using this effective approach, we achieve the highest conversion efficiency of ~10.3% resulting from improved interfacial properties and efficient charge transfer, which is verified by various analysis tools.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.323-323
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• 2016

솔루션 공정을 이용하여 제작된 유기물 나노 입자를 포함한 유기물 나노 복합재료를 기반으로 제작한 비휘발성 메모리 소자들은 저렴한 가격, 간단한 공정, 저전력 소비의 장점으로 차세대 메모리 소자로서 많은 연구가 진행 되고 있다. 비휘발성 메모리 소자는 poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) 층과 polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ)와 graphene quantum dots (GQD)를 혼합한 층을 사용 하여 구성하였다. 세척된 indium-tin-oxide (ITO) 기판 위에 혼합된 PMSSQ/GQD를 스핀코팅 방법으로 증착한 후 열처리 하였다. Chlorobenzene 속에서 혼합된 P3HT를 스핀코팅 방법으로 증착한 후 열처리 하였다. 알루미늄 전극을 상부 전극으로 증착하였다. 제작된 소자의 300 K에서의 전류-전압을 측정 결과는 윈도우 마진이 크게 나오는 것을 알 수 있었다. 누설전류의 감소와 내구성 및 유지성에 대한 성질을 특정한 결과 소자가 안정적으로 동작하는 것을 확인할 수 있었다.