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Featuring a combination of size-tunable emission wavelengths, high thermal stability, and low cytotoxicity, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have opened up a new possibility for next-generation displays. However, the theoretically highest external quantum efficiency (EQE) limit of electroluminescent light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on fluorescent CQDs is 5% due to the spin-forbidden nature of triplet state transitions. Comparatively, phosphorescent or delayed fluorescence CQDs are expected to overcome this limitation and allow the EQE of the devices to reach nearly 25%. At present, the preparation of CQDs with good solution processability, narrow bandwidth emission, and full-color phosphorescence or delayed fluorescence still faces great challenges. Herein, this review aims to offer a materials-chemistry perspective to tailor highly efficient phosphorescent or delayed fluorescence CQDs and present their applications in electroluminescent LEDs for the display technology. The mechanism and design principle of pure organic phosphorescence and delayed fluorescence as well as their recent advances in electroluminescent devices are summarized. Furthermore, we focus on the prospects and challenges for phosphorescent and delayed fluorescence CQDs in displays. We hope that this review will further stimulate the development of high-performance CQD-based electroluminescent displays with a combined effort from different disciplines.

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is well known for its unique ability to tune the reactivity of plasmonic materials via photoexcitation; however, it is still an open question as to whether plasmonic holes can be directly extracted to drive valuable chemical reactions. Herein we give an affirmative answer by reporting an illumination-enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) using CuS nanodisks (NDs) alone as the electrocatalyst. Impressively, under 1221 nm laser or xenon lamp illumination, an unprecedented reduction of OER overpotential was observed on the CuS ND-coated electrodes. Transient absorption combined with Mott-Schottky measurements disclosed that near-infrared (NIR) irradiation generated abundant hot holes from LSPR damping in the CuS NDs accounting for the remarkable OER performance enhancement. This is the first report on the direct utilization of plasmonic hot holes in CuS nanomaterials for boosting OER performance, opening up a new route to designing NIR-active photocatalysts/electrocatalysts by exploiting the unique LSPR properties.

The negative impact of rare-earth elements (REEs) on the environment, limited supply and high cost prompt the need for REE-free phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Here, we report the gram-scale synthesis of red/green/blue solid-state bandgap fluorescent carbon quantum rings (R/G/B-SBF-CQRs) with high quantum yields up to 30-46 %. This was achieved using cyano-group-bearing p-phenyldiacetonitrile as precursor and forming carbon quantum rings of different diameters through the linkage of curved carbon quantum ribbons of different lengths. The results show the role of cyano groups in inducing the curvature of the carbon quantum ribbons for CQR formation and emission of stable solid-state bandgap fluorescence. R/G/B-SBF-CQRs-phosphor-based LEDs emitted warm white light with low CCT (3576 K), high CRI (96.6), and high luminous efficiency (48.7 lm W-1 ), comparable to REE-phosphor-based LEDs.

Two-dimensional (2D) atomically thin quantum dots (QDs) possess extraordinary electrical and optical properties. However, fabricating high quality 2D QDs via a universal and reliable technique remains a challenge. Here, we report a simple strategy to prepare high quality, monolayer single crystal 2D QDs via ultrathin cutting 2D bulk single crystals by ultramicrotome, followed by an exfoliation process. The as-prepared 2D QDs have pristine surface, high quality, high monolayer yield and high photoluminescence quantum yield (the highest photoluminescence quantum yield of WS2 is 18%), which can be used as promising, low toxic, biocompatible, and good cell-permeability fluorescent labeling agents for in vitro imaging.

Large doses of anticancer drugs entering cancer cell nuclei are found to be effective at killing cancer cells and increasing chemotherapeutic effectiveness. Here we report red-emissive carbon quantum dots, which can enter into the nuclei of not only cancer cells but also cancer stem cells. After doxorubicin was loaded at the concentration of 30 μg/mL on the surfaces of carbon quantum dots, the average cell viability of HeLa cells was decreased to only 21%, while it was decreased to 50% for free doxorubicin. The doxorubicin-loaded carbon quantum dots also exhibited a good therapeutic effect by eliminating cancer stem cells. This work provides a potential strategy for developing carbon quantum-dot-based anticancer drug carriers for effective eradication of cancers.

Co-based metal organic frameworks (ZIF-67), working as an oxidase-mimicking nanozyme, can simultaneously catalyze the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and Amplex red, exhibiting a high catalytic activity. For Amplex red, two consecutive redox reactions are reported, which is specifically applied for fluorescence "turn-on" detection of biothiols.

As one of the most promising nanomaterials for biomedical applications, carbon dots (CDs) hold great potential in the field of bioimaging, biosensing and biotherapy due to their low cytotoxicity, high water solubility, favorable biocompatibility, good photostability, tunable fluorescence emission and excitation. In this review, we will provide an update on the latest research of CDs on the synthetic routes, chemical modifications, optical properties and biomedical applications. We will mainly discuss their applications in bioimaging of normal and cancer stem cells and tumour cells, two-photon fluorescence imaging, in vivo imaging, biosensing, and cancer therapy including photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy. At the end, current challenges and future perspectives of CDs in biomedical applications will also be discussed. We hope that this review will provide valuable insights to inspire new discoveries on CDs and draw a roadmap towards a broader range of biomedical applications.

Two-photon fluorescent (TPF) probes, which allow imaging of biological events in a high spatiotemporal resolution, are in great demand. Recently, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have emerged as a promising class of TPF probes. Unfortunately, the use of the existing CQDs has been limited by their weak TPF capacities. Herein, we report the first facile and large-scale synthesis of nitrogen-rich CQDs (NRCQDs) based on a donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) strategy. The resulting NRCQDs demonstrated a tremendous TPF capacity with a two-photon absorption cross section (TPACS) and quantum yield (QY) up to 61 200 Göppert-Mayer (GM) units and 63%, respectively, which is greater than those that could be achieved by the existing TPF carbon probes. Structural and optical analyses of NRCQDs revealed that the great TPF capacity is contributed by the nitrogen-rich D-π-A structure as well as the high crystallinity, large plane, rigid, graphitic nitrogen-doped π-conjugated system. We further demonstrated that NRCQDs allow imaging of live cells as well as live liver tissues at depths of up to 440 μm. Our results suggest NRCQDs as a robust TPF probe that can be potentially used for a variety of biological applications.

Laccase mimics are multicopper oxidase highly important for biotechnology and environmental evaluation/remediation. However, buffer species-dependent catalytic activity is rarely investigated. Herein, through Cu

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have developed into prospective nanomaterials for next-generation lighting and displays due to their intrinsic advantages of high stability, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, confined by the spin-forbidden nature of triplet state transitions, the highest theoretical value of external quantum efficiency (EQE) of fluorescent CQDs is merely 5%, which fundamentally limits their further application in electroluminescent light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Soluble phosphorescent CQDs offer a means of breaking the shackle to achieve efficient monochromatic electroluminescence, especially red emission, which is a pivotal constituent in full-color displays. Here, the synthesis of red (625 nm) phosphorescent carbon quantum dot organic frameworks (CDOFs) with a quantum yield of up to 42.3% and realization of high-efficiency red phosphorescent electroluminescent LEDs are reported. The LEDs based on the CDOFs exhibited a red emission with a maximum luminance of 1818 cd m-2 and an EQE of 5.6%. This work explores the possibility of a new perspective for developing high-performance CQD-based electroluminescent LEDs.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a peroxidase mimic have been integrated with glucose oxidase (GOx) to achieve one-step glucose detection. However, limited by the loading amount of GOx, the performances of the developed glucose sensing assays still remain to be further improved to meet sensing requirements in diverse biological samples. Herein, with Fe3+ as the metal ion and 2-amino-benzenedicarboxylic acid as a ligand, a fluorescent Fe-based organic framework (NH2-MIL-101) with peroxidase-like activity was synthesized. Due to the large specific surface area (791.75 m2 g-1), 68 μg mg-1 GOx could be immobilized through the amidation coupling reaction, and the product was designated GOx@NH2-MIL-101. With OPD as the substrate, Gox@NH2-MIL-101 achieved highly efficient biomimetic cascade catalysis for one-step glucose detection through an inner filter effect: upon reacting with glucose, GOx@NH2-MIL-101 catalytically oxidized glucose using dissolved O2, and the produced H2O2 concurrently oxidized o-phenylenediamine (OPD) to oxidized OPD (oxOPD), accompanied by the fluorescence of GOx@NH2-MIL-101 at 456 nm being quenched and that of oxOPD at 565 nm being enhanced. With the fluorescent ratio F565/F456 used as a readout signal, a wide linear range of 0.1-600 μM was obtained, and the detection limit was 0.0428 μM. Based on the excellent selectivity and high stability of GOx@NH2-MIL-101, the developed assay was successfully applied to glucose detection in human serum and saliva, presenting potential applications in diverse biological samples and even medical diagnosis.

Due to severely overlapping emission and or/ excitation spectra of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the specifically recognizing PAHs by the fluorescent technique is still a challenge. Here, synthesized Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles with 40 ± 4 nm Ag core and 7 ± 1 nm SiO2 shell performing as a nanoprobe could selectively recognize 2-aminoanthracene (2-AA) via metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) within 2 min. The sensing mechanism was based on the facts: (1) there was a perfect spectral overlap between the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak of Ag@SiO2 and the absorptive peak of 2-AA, and (2) 2-AA could interact with Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles through hydrogen bonds between –NH2 in 2-AA and –OH in SiO2 shell. As a result, with Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles as a nanoprobe, a fluorescent assay for detecting 2-AA was developed with a linear range from 1 nM to 800 nM, which exhibited an excellent selectivity over possible PAHs, dyes and metal ions. The detection limit was 1 nM. Finally, the developed assay was applied to analyse 2-AA in industrial wastewater samples, which were highly consistent with that of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This study presents a feasible assay for detecting 2-AA for environmental monitoring and toxic evaluating.

DNA G-quadruplex (G4) could adopt multiple conformations, and the exact conformation is related to the presence of cations. However, the fact that cations with various concentrations could competitively bind with G4 is rarely investigated, which greatly limits the potential applications of G4-based sensors. Here, with PW17 (a G4-forming DNA sequence) as an example, Na+ and K+ with different concentrations competitively binding with PW17 are clarified by circular dichroism spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy. Although Na+ could induce PW17 switching to unstable and antiparallel Na+-stabilized PW17 (2Na+-PW17) ( CNa+ = 5-70 mM) and further to stable and hybrid 2Na+-PW17 ( CNa+ = 70-800 mM), K+ ( CK+ = 0.1-10 mM) could replace Na+ in 2Na+-PW17 with 2Na+-PW17 transforming into K+-stabilized PW17 (2K+-PW17). Moreover, the replacing ability strictly relied on CK+ and CNa+. In the switching process, a stable intermediate including a K+ and an Na+ in one G4 (K+-Na+-PW17) is firstly detected. Importantly, the stable K+-Na+-PW17 is detected at 0.5 mM K+ and 140 mM Na+. Based on the facts, the interferences of Na+ with the performance of PW17-based K+ sensors are investigated. With the stable K+-Na+-PW17 as a sensing probe and protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) as a G4 fluorescent read-out probe, a linear relationship between CK+ (500 nM-10 mM) and PPIX fluorescence is observed, which provides a fluorescence assay for detecting K+ with the co-existing 140 mM Na+. This study exhibits clear evidence of Na+ and K+ competitively binding with G4 and finds a novel and stable K+-Na+-PW17, which provides a clue to further explore G4 functions in Na+-contained samples.

High-performance white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) hold great potential for the next-generation backlight display applications. However, achieving highly efficient and stable WLEDs with wide-color-gamut has remained a formidable goal. Reported here is the first example of pure red narrow bandwidth emission triangular CQDs (PR-NBE-T-CQDs) with photoluminescence peaking at 610 nm. The PR-NBE-T-CQDs synthesized from resorcinol show high quantum yield (QY) of 72% with small full width at half maximum of 33 nm. By simply controlling the reaction time, pure green (PG-) NBE-T-CQDs with high QY of 75% were also obtained. Highly efficient and stable WLEDs with wide-color-gamut based on PR- and PG-NBE-T-CQDs was achieved. This WLED showed a remarkable wide-color gamut of 110% NTSC and high power efficiency of 86.5 lumens per Watt. Furthermore, such WLEDs demonstrate outstanding stability. This work will set the stage for developing highly efficient, low cost and environment-friendly WLEDs based on CQDs for the next-generation wide-color gamut backlight displays.

As crystalline semiconductor nanowires are thinned down to a single-unit-cell thickness, many fascinating properties could arise pointing to promising applications in various fields. A grand challenge is to be able to controllably synthesize such ultrathin nanowires. Herein, we report a strategy, which synergizes a soft template with oriented attachment (ST-OA), to prepare high-quality single-unit-cell semiconductor nanowires (SSNWs). Using this protocol, we are able to synthesize for the first time ZnS and ZnSe nanowires (NWs) with only a single-unit-cell thickness (less than 1.0 nm) and a cluster-like absorption feature (i.e., with a sharp, strong, and significantly blue-shifted absorption peak). Particularly, the growth mechanism and the single-unit-cell structure of the as-prepared ZnS SSNWs are firmly established by both experimental observations and theoretical calculations. Thanks to falling into the extreme quantum confinement regime, these NWs are found to only absorb the light with wavelengths shorter than 280 nm (i.e., solar-blind UV absorption). Utilizing such a unique property, self-powered photoelectrochemical-type photodetectors (PEC PDs) based on the ZnS SSNWs are successfully fabricated. The PDs after interface modification with TiO2 exhibit an excellent solar-blind UV photoresponse performance, with a typical on/off ratio of 6008, a detectivity of 1.5 × 1012 Jones, and a responsivity of 33.7 mA/W. This work opens the door to synthesizing and investigating a new dimension of nanomaterials with a wide range of applications.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites are prone to defect formation due to iodine and methylamine ion/defect migration, leading to the formation of lots of defects at the perovskite surface and grain boundaries. Passivation of the defects is an effective method to improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To achieve stable passivation, the interaction between the perovskite and additive materials should be taken into consideration. In this work, we for the first time introduced carbon quantum dots (CQDs) as an additive for the stabilization of MAPbI3via passivation of the grain boundaries of the perovskite. Because the carboxylic groups, hydroxyl groups and amino-groups on the edge of CQDs can bond with the uncoordinated Pb in MAPbI3, strong and stable interactions between the perovskite and CQDs can be generated, inducing a lower trap-state density and better optoelectronic properties. The typical PCE of the PSCs based on CQD modified MAPbI3 films increases from 17.59% to 18.81% and the PCE of the optimized champion PSCs reaches 19.38%. Furthermore, the hydrophobic CQD molecules can block the contact between water and MAPbI3, and even if the CQD modified perovskite is kept under ambient atmosphere without controlling the humidity for 4 months, the MAPbI3 film still retained its original black color.

An ultrabroad-band solid white emission from carbon quantum dot aggregation with a full width at half maximum over 200 nm throughout the entire visible light window and, even better, with a sufficient red component is first reported. UV pumped WLEDs are fabricated by integrating phosphors onto a UV-LED chip, and they show favorable warm white light characteristics with CIE coordinates of (0.42, 0.38) and a 91 high color rendering index.

Here, we found that Thioflavin T (ThT) could specifically bind with a G-GGG unit (named as "Guanine Island") in double stranded DNA (ds-DNA). Through stacking with G base via hydrogen bonds, the rotation of ThT was restricted and concurrently its planarization was enforced. Such a binding mode produced a significantly enhanced ThT fluorescence. Based on this discovery, with ThT as a lighting-up probe for "Guanine Island" in ds-DNA, the fluorescent detection of single-nucleotide mutation (C mutation) was investigated. With C base in target DNA mutating to G, A or T and further hybridizing with a probe DNA containing a GGG unit at the mutated point, ds-DNA including G-GGG, A-GGG or T-GGG islands was formed, respectively. After binding with ThT, C mutation was clearly recognized. With C mutating to G as an example, the detection limit was as low as 3 nM. Importantly, the developed assay could be applied to recognize C mutating to G in a DNA sequence related to dilated cardiomyopathy for diluted human serum. As a sensing unit ("Guanine Island" in ds-DNA lighting up ThT), it is expected to be applied for various biological or environmental systems.

Blue-yellow fluorescence–phosphorescence dual emission from single-component white emissive W-CNQDs with a high PLQE of 25% is reported for the first time., Developing efficient single-component white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) is extremely challenging due to the issue of Kasha's rule. Here we report the first demonstration of blue-yellow fluorescence–phosphorescence dual emission from our newly minted single-component white emissive carbon nitride quantum dots (W-CNQDs). The W-CNQDs deliver an overall photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 25%, which is the highest value among white-emitting materials reported to date, based on utilizing both singlet and triplet states. Experimental and theoretical investigations reveal that the carbonyl groups at the rim of the W-CNQDs play a key role in promoting intersystem crossing and inducing intermolecular electronic coupling, affording intensive yellow phosphorescence. Efficient white emission is achieved with a phosphorescence quantum efficiency of 6% under ambient conditions. A WLED is fabricated by integrating W-CNQD phosphors into a UV-LED chip, which shows favorable white light characteristics with CIE coordinates and a CRI of (0.35, 0.39) and 85, respectively, demonstrating good color chromatic stability. This work opens up new opportunities for exploring dual emission mechanisms and designs to facilitate the development of efficient single-component WLEDs.

Here, hollow CdS nanoboxes (average size of 120 nm) with graded nanovoids (ranging from 2 nm to 13 nm) distributed in the walls (average thickness of 20 nm) are in situ synthesized through directly sulfurizing a Cd metal-organic framework (Cd-MOF-47) with thiourea. A specific surface area of 153 m2 g-1 is achieved. With as-prepared hollow CdS nanoboxes as photocatalysts for water splitting to H2 (visible light irradiation), H2 evolution rate is as high as 21 654 μmol g-1 h-1, which is nearly 79 times higher than that of bulk CdS. Such an excellent photocatalytic efficiency is ascribed to the large specific surface area for improving light absorbability and the porous nanostructure for efficiently utilizing excitation light due to the multiple scattering within the hollow framework. Moreover, a smaller band gap (2.30 eV) with a higher conduction band (-0.83 V) presents a strong reducibility, which is beneficial for reducing H2O to H2. A combination of fluorescence spectroscopy (PL), PL lifetimes and the photoelectrochemical technique shows that hollow CdS nanoboxes exhibit lower fluorescence intensity, longer electron lifetime and stronger photocurrent intensity than bulk CdS, implying an improved separation and transfer of photoinduced charge carriers. This work presents a novel methodology to prepare hollow nanostructures, exhibiting potential applications in the field of energy conversion.

As an emerging class of luminescent nanomaterials, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have recently shown enormous potential for optoelectronic applications on account of their characteristic broad emission, tunable fluorescence emission, high thermal stability, and low cytotoxicity. In this review, we will update the latest research progress achieved in CQDs, including their synthesis, optical properties, luminescence mechanism, and applications in optoelectronics. Mainly reviewed here are their room temperature phosphorescence, delayed fluorescence properties, as well as their optoelectronic applications including light-emitting diodes, lasing, solar cells, and photodetectors. Finally, current problems and challenges of CQD-based optoelectronics applications are discussed with an eye on future development. We hope that this review will provide critical insights to inspire new exciting discoveries in the area of CQDs from both fundamental and practical standpoints so that the realization of their potential in the optoelectronic areas can be facilitated.

Identifying the species and concentrations of antioxidants is really important because antioxidants play important roles in various biological processes and numerous diseases. Compared with an individual sensor detecting a single antioxidant with limited specificity, a sensor array could simultaneously identify various antioxidants, in which 3-5 types of nanomaterials with peroxidase-like activity are absolutely necessary. Herein, as a single-atom nanozyme, Fe-N/C with oxidase-mimicking activity was applied to construct a triple-channel colorimetric sensor array: (1) Fe-N/C catalytically oxidized three substrates 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and o-phenylenediamine (OPD) to produce blue oxidized TMB (oxTMB), green oxidized ABTS (oxABTS) and yellow oxidized OPD (oxOPD), respectively; (2) with oxTMB, oxABTS and oxOPD as three sensing channels, a colorimetric sensor array was constructed for simultaneously discriminating glutathione (GSH), l-cysteine (l-Cys), ascorbic acid (AA), uric acid (UA), and melatonin (MT), even quantifying concentrations (with GSH as a model analyst). The performance of the sensor array was validated through accurately identifying 15 blind samples containing GSH, l-Cys, AA, UA and MT in buffer solution and human serum samples, and also in binary and ternary mixtures. This work proved that fabricating a single nanozyme-based sensor array was a simplified and reliable strategy for simultaneously probing multiple antioxidants.

As the performance of hairpin DNA (hpDNA)-based biosensors is highly dependent on the yield of stem-loop (hairpin) conformations, we report herein a versatile fluorometric in situ hybridization protocol for examining hpDNA self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on popularly used biochip substrates. Specifically, the ratio of fluorescence (FL) intensities of hpDNA SAMs (in an array format) before and after hybridization was adopted as the key parameter for performing such a determination. Upon confirming the existence of mixed and tunable DNA conformations in binary deposition solutions and efficient hybridization of the hairpin strands with the target DNA via gel electrophoresis assays, we tested the fluorometric protocol for determining the coverages of hpDNA in hpDNA/ssDNA SAMs prepared on gold; its accuracy was validated by Exonuclease I (Exo I)-assisted electrochemical quantitation. To further confirm its versatility, this FL protocol was adopted for quantifying hairpin conformations formed on glass and polycarbonate (PC) substrates. The molar ratios of surface-tethered hairpin conformations on the three different substrates were all found to be proportional to but less than those in the binary deposition solutions, and were dependent on the substrate morphology. The findings reported herein are beneficial for the construction of highly efficient DNA hairpin-based sensing surfaces, which essentially facilitates the creation of hpDNA-based biosensors with optimal detection performance.

Photocatalysis has been facing challenging problems especially the inefficient photocarriers transfer at the interfaces. Here, based on Ksp difference, we prepare the sequential heterojunction of CoS/CdS/CuS via sequential cation exchange strategy, and propose the concept of "electron-welcome zone", where the point-to-point contact can be formed at the interface, thus providing continuous electron transport channels. HAADF-STEM EDS line test indicates the formation of designed structures, and the p/n junction is confirmed by band structure and Mott-Schottky analysis. Theoretical calculation indicates that CoS reduces the Gibbs free energy of the reaction. TRPL spectra show that the existence of "electron welcome zone" greatly improves the lifetime of electrons. This sequential structure enable the optimal H2 production rate to reach 123.2 mmol g−1 h−1 with AQE of 45.6%, which is among the highest values of CdS-based photocatalysts. This work opens new way to efficient photogenerated carrier transfer channel for solar-energy conversion.

Numerous studies have reported cation-dependent stability and topological changes of G-quadruplexes (G4s), but competitions between cations at different concentrations for binding with G4s and thei...

To obtain dual active near-infrared (NIR) nanomaterial with strong absorption and emission properties, we report herein a novel precursor reactivity differentiation strategy, i.e., utilizing 1-octadecene (ODE)–Se having the ability to react with Ag salts much stronger and faster than ODE–thiourea, for single-step preparation of Ag2Se@Ag2S nanocrystals (NCs). With this strategy, we were able to synthesize high-quality Ag2Se@Ag2S NCs with both excellent NIR absorption and emission properties. Particularly, these nanocrystals possess a rather strong and sharp excitonic absorption peak with a full width at half maximum less than 70 nm and a maximum fluorescence quantum yield as high as 24.3%. Their appealing optical properties and structural features were founded to be highly dependent on the Se to S precursor ratio in the reaction solutions, owing to such a ratio exerting a direct influence on the core sizes and shell thicknesses of the as-formed NCs. Taking advantage of their remarkable NIR absorption properties, self-powered photoelectrochemical-type photodetectors based on the as-prepared Ag2Se@Ag2S NCs were successfully fabricated, which demonstrate a much better response performance and photostability in comparison with those based on Ag2Se NCs.

In this work, a resettable 4-input/2-output keypad lock system based on red-emission carbon dots (rCDs) and Prussian blue (PB) modified electrodes was developed. Electrochromic PB layers were first electrochemically deposited on the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode surface. An admixture of rCDs and chitosan (Chi) was then cast on the surface of PB layers, forming rCDs-Chi/PB film electrodes. UV-vis absorption of the films was sensitive to the applied potential since the blue PB constituent of the films would be transformed to nearly colorless Prussian white (PW) at the reduction potential of -0.2 V and then from PW back to PB at the oxidation potential of 0.4 V, and the transformation between PB and PW would also influence the fluorescence emission of the rCD constituent in the films. The addition of cysteine (Cys) in the testing solution could reduce the PB in the films into PW and generate an amperometric electrocatalytic current at 0.4 V. Meanwhile, the addition of Fe3+ in solution could greatly quench the fluorescence from the rCD component in the films. Thus, the responses of UV-vis absorbance, fluorescence emission and amperometric current of the rCDs-Chi/PB film electrode system exhibited potential-, Cys- and Fe3+-responsive switching properties. Based on the aforementioned work, a combinational logic gate circuit with 3 inputs and 3 outputs was established. In particular, on the same platform, a novel chemical/molecular 4-input/2-output keypad lock with easy resettability was elaborately designed with amperometric current and fluorescence peak intensity as two different types of outputs, so that a higher security level could be achieved.

In the present study, we developed a novel ratiometric fluorescent sensor for the detection of cysteine (Cys) by linking the recognition indicators glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters (GSH–AuNCs) onto the surface of amino-modified SiO2NPs@SiO2 spheres. The as-prepared nanohybrid (SiO2NPs/AuNCs) exhibited dual-emission fluorescence peaking at 425 and 605 nm under single excitation of 360 nm. Furthermore, its morphology, composition, surface chemical features and optical properties have been fully characterized through transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. For Cys detection, the red fluorescence intensity of AuNCs of the nanohybrid could be selectively and effectively enhanced by Cys due to specific interaction between the indicator and the target, whereas the reference signal of blue-emitting SiO2NPs@SiO2 spheres remained constant as SiO2NPs were entirely encapsulated by the silica shell. Thus, the variation in the intensity ratio (I605/I425) of the nanohybrid could be used to determine Cys based on the ratiometric method. The I605/I425 against the concentration of Cys demonstrated a good linear relationship from 0 to 20 μM, and the detection limit reached as low as 0.35 μM. Moreover, this ratiometric system has been applied to determine Cys in serum samples with satisfactory results.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) which emitted blue-green fluorescence (abbreviated as CQDs-1) were prepared by grinding organic small molecule acetone under alkaline conditions. Upon adding KF (or KCl) and grinding with acetone, the fluorescence emission peak of CQDs shifts from 500 nm (CQDs-1) to 560 nm (CQDs-2). And red fluorescent CQDs-3 with a fluorescence emission peak of 600 nm (CQDs-3) were obtained when KF (or KCl) was changed to KBr (or KI) under the same conditions. UV-Vis absorption spectrum and fluorescence spectrum were used to study their optical properties. And their morphologies and microstructures were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra. The formation mechanism of CQDs was explored. The results show that CQDs prepared by such simple mechanical trituration method exhibit low cytotoxicity, high water solubility and good biocompatibility, thus they can be used for tumor cell imaging.

Cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Improved cancer treatment requires enhancement of cancer diagnosis and detection. To achieve this goal, here we report a novel imaging probe, pH-responsive fluorescent graphene quantum dots (pRF-GQDs). pRF-GQDs were prepared by electrolysis of graphite rods in sodium p-toluenesulfonate acetonitrile solution. The resulting pRF-GQDs, which have minimal toxicity, display a sharp fluorescence transition between green and blue at pH 6.8, a pH matching the acidic extracellular microenvironment in solid tumors. We found that this unique fluorescence switch property allows tumors to be distinguished from normal tissues. In addition to fluorescence, pRF-GQDs also exhibit upconversion photoluminescence (UCPL). We demonstrate that the combination of UCPL and fluorescence switch enables detection of solid tumors of different origin at an early developmental stage. Therefore, pRF-GQDs have great potential to be used as a universal probe for fluorescence-guided cancer surgery and cancer diagnosis.

DNA G-quadruplex (G4) could adopt multiple conformations, and the exact conformation is related to the presence of cations. However, the fact that cations with various concentrations could competitively bind with G4 is rarely investigated, which greatly limits the potential applications of G4-based sensors. Here, with PW17 (a G4-forming DNA sequence) as an example, Na

Graphene oxide (GO)-based aptasensors are currently one of the most popular sensing platforms for the simple and rapid detection of various targets. Unfortunately, the GO-based aptasensors with long aptamer strands typically show unsatisfactory performance resulting from insignificant structural transformations upon target binding. We report herein the utilization of an aptamer-truncating strategy to combat such a challenge. Taking a pre-selected anti-aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) aptamer (P-AFB1-50) as a trial system, we sequentially remove the extraneous nucleotides within the aptamer by means of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and binding affinity analysis. Particularly, the ratio of the quenching constants between the GO sheets and the truncated aptamers (labelled with fluorophores) in the absence and presence of the target was determined for each of the truncated aptamers to evaluate the optimal sequence. As a result, the truncated aptamer comprising 40 nucleotides was confirmed to show the highest FL output and the best detection limit upon conjugation with GO sheets. More importantly, we demonstrated that this truncating strategy is versatile, i.e., it can be easily extended to other aptamer systems (anti-ochratoxin A (OTA) aptamer, P-OTA-61, as an example) for extraneous nucleotide identification. Impressively, the two optimal truncated aptamers can work together on GO sheets to achieve a simultaneous detection of two different mycotoxins (i.e., AFB1 and OTA) in one single test. Essentially, this research opens a new avenue for the design and testing of aptamer-/GO-based-sensing platforms for rapid, low-cost and multiplex quantification of analytical targets of interest.

Due to severely overlapping emission and or/ excitation spectra of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the specifically recognizing PAHs by the fluorescent technique is still a challenge. Here, synthesized Ag@SiO