Graphene and its derivatives have drawn interest across many disciplines due to their remarkable properties. We investigated the influence of graphite oxide (GO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles at 0.1% and 0.01% dosing concentrations on the combustion characteristics of diesel fuel by using the single droplet combustion experiment. Shortened ignition delay (ID) by up to 46.5%, increased burn-rate constant (up to 29.4%), reduced peak temperature (up to 13.8%), and shortened burnout time (up to 19.2%) are observed when a GO nanoparticle is dosed in diesel fuel. These remarkable features may substantially improve the combustion efficiency and reduce harmful emissions in diesel engine applications.