Chemo-physical mechanisms of high-strength cement composites with suprastructure of graphene quantum dots

Recently, there has been considerable interest in utilizing various forms of graphene derivatives for producing high-strength concrete. Among these derivatives are superstructure of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), particularly in their assemblies of carbon dots, which is innovative in cement. This research investigates the impact of graphene derivatives known as supra-GQDs on the mechanical properties and microstructure analysis of cement composites, compared with the control mixture and GQDs solution. The results found that supra-GQDs exhibit enhanced mechanical characteristics. The composite containing 1.2 % supra-GQDs had higher compressive and flexural strengths than the control by 40 % and 108 %, respectively. The study also identified a microstructural bridging mechanism involving the seeding and crystal growth of the C-S-H phase, leading to refined pore structure and less nano-, meso-, and micro-pores. The measured total pore volume reduced by 30 % when compared to GQDs solution. This investigation provides novel insight into the potential of utilizing supra-GQDs in cement composites, opening promising possibilities for high-performance concrete in the construction industry.