Emerging trends in sensors based on carbon nitride materials

A new class of functional materials, carbon nitrides, has recently attracted the attention of researchers. Carbon nitride is a metal-free carbonaceous material, possessing a high N : C ratio with structure ranging from polymeric to graphitic form, constituting heptazine or triazine rings as structural motifs. It entered into the frame as a heterogeneous photocatalyst owing to its medium band gap, porosity, and high thermal and chemical inertness. Intensive research aimed towards exploring its inherent potentials has opened up a new area of study in the field of sensors; moreover, due to tunability of its electronic and optical properties, high stability, biocompatibility and low cost, it can be used in the area of sensing. In this review, we highlighted various strategies for the development of nanoscale morphological varieties of carbon nitrides and fabrication of sensors based on the luminescence properties of the carbon nitride materials. Herein, we exclusively envisioned new vistas for carbon nitrides as an imperative candidate for the fabrication of ideal sensors.