Two-dimensional graphite-like carbon nitride nanosheets (g-C3N4 NSs) were hybridized with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to construct an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor. The prepared Au NP-functionalized g-C3N4 NS nanohybrids (Au-g-C3N4 NHs) exhibit strong and stable cathodic ECL activity compared to g-C3N4 NSs due to the important roles of Au NPs in trapping and storing the electrons from the conduction band of g-C3N4 NSs, as well as preventing high energy electron-induced passivation of g-C3N4 NSs. On the basis of the improved ECL stability and ECL peak intensity of the Au-g-C3N4 NHs, a novel ECL immunosensor was developed to detect carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a model target analyte. The ECL immunosensor has a sensitive response to CEA in a linear range of 0.02-80 ng mL(-1) with a detection limit of 6.8 pg mL(-1). Additionally, the proposed immunosensor shows high specificity, good reproducibility, and long-term stability.

The preparation, characterization, fluorescence (FL) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of graphite-like carbon nitride nanoflake particles (g-C(3)N(4) NFPs) and nanoflake films (g-C(3)N(4) NFFs) have been reported. Highly water-dispersible g-C(3)N(4) NFPs with a height of ~5 to 35 nm and a lateral dimension of ~40 to 220 nm have been extracted from bulk g-C(3)N(4) materials by chemical oxidation. New, stable and defined g-C(3)N(4) NFFs can be easily obtained by drying NFPs on certain hydrophilic substrates such as glass or electrode surfaces. Both g-C(3)N(4) NFPs and g-C(3)N(4) NFFs have good FL activities, i.e. they can give strong blue light (435 nm) emission under UV light (365 nm) excitation. The as-prepared g-C(3)N(4) NFFs on a glassy carbon electrode exhibit strong non-surface state ECL activity in the presence of reductive-oxidative coreactants, including dissolved oxygen (O(2)), hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and peroxydisulfate (S(2)O(8)(2-)) and give rise to blue light emission (435 nm), which is the same as the wavelength of FL. The non-surface state ECL mechanisms of the g-C(3)N(4) NFF-coreactant systems have been studied and discussed in detail.

Gas-involving cancer theranostics have attracted considerable attention in recent years due to their high therapeutic efficacy and biosafety. We have reviewed the recent significant advances in the development of stimuliresponsive gas releasing molecules (GRMs) and gas nanogenerators for cancer bioimaging, targeted and controlled gas therapy, and gas-sensitized synergistic therapy. We have focused on gases with known anticancer effects, such as oxygen (O 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), hydrogen (H 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and heavy gases that act via the gas-generating process. The GRMs and gas nanogenerators for each gas have been described in terms of the stimulation method, followed by their applications in ultrasound and multimodal imaging, and finally their primary and synergistic actions with other cancer therapeutic modalities. The current challenges and future possibilities of gas therapy and imaging vis-a-vis clinical translation have also been discussed.

donating-driven property (e.g., catalysis and strong affinity to Lewis acid). These unique properties motivated huge activity in sensing applications of g-CN, indicating by the growing collection of publications concerning g-CN-based sensors, as displayed in Figure 3.This article reviews state-of-the-art sensing applications of nanostructured g-CN. We begin with a highlight of the diverse micro/nanostructures and nanocomposites of g-CN that are suitable for sensing applications and summarize the known signaling modes and sensing mechanisms. This is followed by a highlight of several interesting sensing examples. Finally, we also discuss new frontiers in the use of g-CN for sensing applications and identify existing challenges.