Emerging graphitic carbon nitride-based materials for biomedical applications

Graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4) are a class of burgeoning fluorescent polymeric materials and have received tremendous attention in the biomedical fields because of their unique optical and electronic properties. In this review, we systematically summarize synthetic strategies for the preparation of g-C3N4-based materials, and outline their recent advances in various biomedical applications such as diagnostic imaging, therapeutic applications, biosensors and antibacterial applications. In addition, biosafety and toxicity evaluations of g-C3N4-based materials are also in-depth discussed. Furthermore, the state-of-the-art progress, challenges and perspectives of g-C3N4-based materials in biomedical applications are highlighted and discussed in detail. It is believed that the emerging g-C3N4-based biomaterials can realize the actual biomedical applications via unremitting efforts of scientific researchers in the near future.