Carbon dots (C dots) with biocompatibility, brightness, stability against photoirradiation and salt, and ease in preparation have become important materials for sensing and imaging. They can be prepared from natural materials and small organic molecules through hydrothermal, microwave‐assistant, and electrochemical methods, with advantages of simplicity and low cost. To enhance the quantum yields of C dots in the red and near‐infrared regions, doping of C dots with heteroatoms such as nitrogen and sulfur has been suggested. C dots both with and without being functionalized recognition elements such as antibodies and aptamers are selective and sensitive for sensing of analytes, including metal ions (e.g., Fe³⁺, Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺), small molecules (e.g., H₂O₂, cysteine, glutathione), and biopolymers like proteins, as well as for in vitro and in vivo imaging. Depending on the size, charge, and surface ligands of C dots used to label cells, fluorescence images of different organelles are shown. Multicolor images of bacteria, mammalian cells, and plant tissues incubated with C dots are realized when excited at different wavelengths. In this review, many excellent sensing and imaging examples of C dots are presented to highlight their features and to show their challenges for analytical applications.

中文翻译：

---

碳点的最新进展和传感应用

具有生物相容性，亮度，对光辐射和盐的稳定性以及易于制备的碳点（C点）已成为传感和成像的重要材料。它们可以通过水热，微波辅助和电化学方法由天然材料和有机小分子制备，具有简单和低成本的优点。为了提高红色和近红外区域中C点的量子产率，已建议用氮和硫等杂原子掺杂C点。带有和不带有功能性识别元件（例如抗体和适体）的C点对于检测被分析物（包括金属离子（例如Fe ³⁺，Hg 2 ⁺，Cu ²⁺），小分子（例如H₂ O ₂，半胱氨酸，谷胱甘肽）和生物聚合物（如蛋白质），以及用于体外和体内成像。根据用于标记细胞的C点的大小，电荷和表面配体，显示了不同细胞器的荧光图像。当以不同的波长激发时，可以实现细菌，哺乳动物细胞和植物组织与C点一起孵育的多色图像。在这篇综述中，展示了许多出色的C点感测和成像示例，以突出它们的功能并展示其在分析应用中的挑战。