Themed collection Celebrating 100 years of Chemistry at Nanjing University

Self-assembled nanomaterials (SANs) exhibit designable biofunctions owing to their tunable nanostructures and modifiable surfaces.

The utilization of the DNA origami technique in the fabrication of complex objects has given rise to possibilities in DNA-induced precise manufacturing and might open a new era of bottom-up fabrication.

Gas-propelled biosensors display a simple gas-based signal amplification with quantitative detection features based on the target recognition event in combination with gas propulsion.

Classification of nanoclusters and methods to improve their quantum yield and applications.

This review presents a general description of the synthesis and electrochemical properties of rare earth-based nanomaterials and their electrochemical applications.

This review summarizes the fundamentals and recent progress in the photoelectrochemical detection of metal ions for the first time.

A simple target-responsive CRISPR/Cas12a-based strategy for translating molecular detection into a glucose test.

A three-channel ratiometric ECL platform for MCF-7 cells detection using potential-resolved ECL probes.

A remarkable simple protein purification method is developed through nickel cleaving the target protein off the Escherichia coli cell surface.

An S-alkyl thiocarbamate bond in a caged fluorophore is selective to target hypochlorous acid but stable against Hg²⁺.

A boronic acid functionalized aza-borondipyrromethene dye (azaBDPBA) was applied to the dual-wavelength detection of hydrogen peroxide with high selectivity, which was loaded into cells to indicate the alteration of intracellular hydrogen peroxide during biological processes.

We have developed a novel colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence probe for the selective and sensitive imaging of H₂S in living cells and living zebrafish in vivo.

A nitrogen-doped graphene/gold nanoparticle/formate dehydrogenase bioanode was proven to be effective in the catalytic oxidation of formic acid in biofuel cells.

Specific extraction and ultrasensitive detection of low-copy-number nuclear proteins in single living cells were achieved via a subcellular-resolved plasmonic immunosandwich assay.

Analyzing the SOD-like activity of nanozymes in vitro is of great importance for identifying new nanozymes and predicting their potential biological effects in vivo.

A ratiometric fluorescent probe constructed by covalently linking an ‘always-on’ BODIPY fluorophore with a GGT-activatable near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent substrate was reported for real-time imaging of GGT activity in living cells and in vivo.

A stepwise recognition strategy was developed for highly specific detection of telomerase activity via direct electrochemical analysis of metal–organic frameworks.

An analytical method for screening multi-site recognition aptamers in lactoferrin molecules has been developed based on Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging, combined with the cluster classification calculation and molecular docking simulation.

Donor-acceptor type conjugated polymers were synthesized to obtain amplified electrochemiluminescence signals promoted by AIE-active moieties.

A sensitive colorimetric assay method has been proposed for the detection of antibody by specifically assembling tandemly repeated DNAzymes on its “Y”-shaped structure, which has been used to determine anti-HCV Ab in serum with high sensitivity.

A fluorescent visual method is developed for the quantitation of cell-secreted sialoglycoconjugates by chemoselective recognition and hybridization chain reaction.

The fluorescence of aggregation-induced emission is converted into that from ICT-induced emission in the presence of HClO.

Electrosyringe-assisted electrospray mass spectrometry (MS) is established for the first time to achieve intracellular sampling from one axon or dendrite in living neurons for mass spectrometric analysis.

A DNA walker triggered by multiple DNAzyme cores was constructed with the assistance of rolling circle amplification for electrochemical biosensing.

An RNA chaperone assisted intramolecular annealing reaction for sensitive detection of genetic material in cell lysis and single cells was constructed.

We synthesized black phosphorus quantum dots with good fluorescence performance and excellent biocompatibility, and highlighted their great potential in the photothermal therapy of cancer.

Endogenously generated selenocysteine in tumor-bearing mice were selectively detected by our reaction-based NIR probe for the first time.

A porphyrin-based highly selective sensor for hypochlorite was applied in real-time detection of exogenous and endogenous ClO⁻ in biological systems.

A novel Ir(III)-containing polymer complex can emit an apparently enhanced ECL signal using TPrA as a co-reactant in CH₃CN solution due to the effective intramolecular metal–ligand charge transfer (MLCT) from the Ir(III)-complex centre to the polymer backbone.

By combining leucine (Leu) and tetraphenylethene (TPE), a pH-sensitive aggregation induced emission (AIE) probe TPE-Leu was developed.

A target-induced cyclic strategy for DNAzyme formation was developed for simple and sensitive colorimetric and chemiluminescence detection of protein biomarkers.

Micro ribose nucleic acids (miRNAs) play an important role in biological processes such as cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis.

Gold nanoparticles are used as an intermediary in a sandwich structure for the preparation of an aptamer-based organic–inorganic hybrid affinity monolithic column.

A class of squaramide-based tripodal molecules was employed as new ionophores for highly sensitive and selective sulfate-selective sensors.

A circular hydrophobic–hydrophilic-Ti⁴⁺ immobilized phosphate polymer is patterned as the sample support for selective enrichment, wash-free self-desalting and mass spectroscopy (MS) analysis of phosphopeptides.

We present a fluorescence-based method to detect malignant cells in clinical pleuroperitoneal effusion samples using a NIR heptamethine dye.