Fluorinated graphene nanoparticles with 1–3 nm electrically active graphene quantum dots

A new perspective approach to how to create a new and locally nanostructured graphene-based material is reported on. We studied the electric and structural properties for the partially fluorinated graphene (FG) films obtained from a FG-suspension and nanostructured by high-energy Xe ions. Local shock heating in ion tracks is suggested to be the main driving force of the changes. It was found that ion irradiation leads to the formation of locally thermal expanded FG and its cracking into nanosized nanoparticles with embedded small (~1.5-3 nm) graphene quantum dots, which band gap was estimated as 1-1.5 eV, into them. A further developed approach was applied to correction of the functional properties of the printed FG-based crossbar memristors. Dielectric FG films with small quantum dots may offer prospects in graphene-based electronics due to their stability and promising properties.