Pyrrole-Modified Two-Dimensional Carbon Nitride Nanoparticles Realize Super-Resolution Imaging.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), as an excellent optoelectronic material, has potential applications in bioimaging. However, the original g-C3N4 has an excessively large size and poor water solubility and is difficult to modify, making it unsuitable for direct use in bioimaging. Here, we propose an efficient modification scheme. By using pyrrole as the modifying reagent, we achieve size refinement and solubility improvement, enhance the fluorescence intensity of g-C3N4, and endow it with fluorescence scintillation properties. Subsequently, this modified C3N4 was transformed to water-soluble fluorescent probes through the nanoprecipitation method. Finally, with the help of specific antibodies, we achieved super-resolution imaging of cell microtubule structures using this fluorescent probe with a resolution of up to 180 nm. This research method not only overcomes the difficulties of applying two-dimensional rigid materials to biological applications but also provides a new approach of other two-dimensional materials in small sized and soluble fluorescent probes.