A solid-state electrochemiluminescent sensor based on C60/graphite-like carbon nitride nanosheet hybrids for detecting melamine

C60/graphite-like carbon nitride nanosheet (C60/g-C3N4 NS) hybrids were prepared by a simple π–π interaction, and used to construct a solid state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor. Based on the fact that melamine could efficiently quench the ECL intensity of g-C3N4 NS, such a sensor achieved detection of melamine. The possible quenching mechanisms were discussed. Due to the combination of the excellent ECL behavior of g-C3N4 NS with the outstanding electronic conductivity of C60, the prepared sensor exhibited a response for melamine with a wide linear range of 5.0 × 10−13 to 2.7 × 10−11 M and 2.7 × 10−11 to 1.9 × 10−8 M. The detection limit was 1.3 × 10−13 M. In this work, the linear range of melamine was improved by six orders of magnitude and the detection limit as low as sub-picomolar. Such a construction strategy provided a simple, sensitive, low-cost and green detection method for melamine.