Co-reactant-on-Demand ECL: Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence by the in Situ Production of S2O82– at Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes

Fabrication of an all-in-one self-enhanced solid-state electrochemiluminescence sensing platform for the selective detection of spermine

The fabrication of an all-in-one solid-state ECL sensing platform is beneficial not only for expediting the miniaturization of sensing devices, but also, more importantly, for enabling point-of-care applications. In the present work, a self-enhanced solid-state ECL sensing platform is fabricated using newly synthesised silica polyethylene nanoparticles (SiO2-PEI NPs) which generate a co-reactant in situ and easily self-assemble with Ru(bpy)32+ and shows selective and sensitive detection of spermine at physiological pH (7.4). Spermine induces the maximum ECL emission intensity compared to other biogenic amines due to the presence of two secondary amines. A possible ECL reaction mechanism has been proposed based on CV and ECL experiments, DFT calculations, and in situ ECL spectrum analysis. The developed solid-state sensor showed a linear increase in ECL intensity with increasing spermine concentration in the range of 10 nM to 100 nM with an LOD of 12.2 nM. Compared to other biogenic amines in previous works, chemically synthesised SiO2-PEI NPs used in the present study act as an effective label- and enzyme-free sensor, and the new method is observed to be simple and cost-effective, to overcome various limitations of solution-phase ECL and to avoid the usage of any noble metals.

Development of reusable electrochemiluminescence sensing microchip for detection of vomitoxin

In this work, a reusable DNA sensing microchip was developed for detection of vomitoxin (deoxynivalenol, DON) in sorghum using Cd-based core-shell CdSe@CdS quantum dots (QDs) as promising electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitter. The size-adjustable aqueous phase CdSe@CdS QDs were prepared through homogeneous method, exhibiting strong cathodic ECL emission with a central wavelength of 520 nm in S2O82- coreactant. And gold nanoparticles-modified iron cobalt cyanide hydrate (Fe-Co-Au) was introduced as an accelerator to amplify the ECL signal. ECL signal was quenched after the formation of a double-stranded (dsDNA) S1-S2 by generating an electron transfer system between the emitter and ferrocene (Fc), which are modified on the aptamer (ssDNA S1) and its complement sequence (ssDNA S2), respectively. When the target DON is presence, the aptamer ssDNA S1 will bind to the DON and trigger the unbinding of double strands DNA and the release of the ssDNA S2, thus the signal can be generated. This approach offers a feasible method for the detection of DON within the range of 1 ng/mL to 200 ng/mL.

From theory to practice: understanding the challenges in the implementation of electrogenerated chemiluminescence for analytical applications

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) stands out as a remarkable phenomenon of light emission at electrodes initiated by electrogenerated species in solution. Characterized by its exceptional sensitivity and minimal background optical signals, ECL finds applications across diverse domains, including biosensing, imaging, and various analytical applications. This review aims to serve as a comprehensive guide to the utilization of ECL in analytical applications. Beginning with a brief exposition on the theory at the basis of ECL generation, we elucidate the diverse systems employed to initiate ECL. Furthermore, we delineate the principal systems utilized for ECL generation in analytical contexts, elucidating both advantages and challenges inherent to their use. Additionally, we provide an overview of different electrode materials and novel ECL-based protocols tailored for analytical purposes, with a specific emphasis on biosensing applications.

Recent Advances in Electrochemiluminescence Biosensors for MicroRNA Detection

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) as an analytical technology with a perfect combination of electrochemistry and spectroscopy has received considerable attention in bioanalysis due to its high sensitivity and broad dynamic range. Given the selectivity of bio-recognition elements and the high sensitivity of the ECL analysis technique, ECL biosensors are powerful platforms for the sensitive detection of biomarkers, achieving the accurate prognosis and diagnosis of diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial biomarkers involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, whose aberrant expression is often related to serious diseases, especially cancers. ECL biosensors can fulfill the highly sensitive and selective requirements for accurate miRNA detection, prompting this review. The ECL mechanisms are initially introduced and subsequently categorize the ECL biosensors for miRNA detection in terms of the quenching agents. Furthermore, the work highlights the signal amplification strategies for enhancing ECL signal to improve the sensitivity of miRNA detection and finally concludes by looking at the challenges and opportunities in ECL biosensors for miRNA detection.

Highly Active Coreactant-Capped and Water-Stable 3D@2D Core-Shell Perovskite Quantum Dots as a Novel and Strong Self-Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence Probe

Self-enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) probes have attracted more and more attention in analytical chemistry for their significant simplification of the ECL sensing operation while improving the ECL sensing sensitivity. However, the development and applications of self-enhanced ECL probes are still in their infancy and mainly suffer from the requirement of a complicated synthesis strategy and relatively low self-enhanced ECL activity. In this work, we took advantage of the recently emerged perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) with high optical quantum yields and easy surface engineering to develop a new type of PQD-based self-enhanced ECL system. The long alkyl chain (C18) diethanolamine (i.e., N-octadecyldiethanolamine (ODA)) with high ECL coreactant activity was selected as a capping ligand to synthesize an ODA-capped PQD self-enhanced ECL probe. The preparation of the coreactant-capped PQDs is as simple as for the ordinary oleylamine (OAm)-capped PQDs, and the obtained ODA-capped PQDs exhibit very strong self-enhanced ECL activity, 82.5 times higher than that of traditional OAm-capped PQDs. Furthermore, the prepared ODA-PQDs have a unique nanostructure (ODA-CsPbBr3@CsPb2Br5), with the highly emissive 3D CsPbBr3 PQD as the core and the water-stable 2D CsPb2Br5 as the shell, which allows ODA-PQDs to be very stable in aqueous media. It is envisioned that the prepared ODA-3D@2D PQDs with the easy preparation method, strong self-enhanced ECL, and excellent water stability have promising applications in ECL sensing.

Nanoscale Luminescence Imaging/Detection of Single Particles: State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects

Single-particle-level measurements, during the reaction, avoid averaging effects that are inherent limitations of conventional ensemble strategies. It allows revealing structure-activity relationships beyond averaged properties by considering crucial particle-selective descriptors including structure/morphology dynamics, intrinsic heterogeneity, and dynamic fluctuations in reactivity (kinetics, mechanisms). In recent years, numerous luminescence (optical) techniques such as chemiluminescence (CL), electrochemiluminescence (ECL), and fluorescence (FL) microscopies have been emerging as dominant tools to achieve such measurements, owing to their diversified spectroscopy principles, noninvasive nature, higher sensitivity, and sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. Correspondingly, state-of-the-art methodologies and tools are being used for probing (real-time, operando, in situ) diverse applications of single particles in sensing, medicine, and catalysis. Herein, we provide a concise and comprehensive perspective on luminescence-based detection and imaging of single particles by putting special emphasis on their basic principles, mechanistic pathways, advances, challenges, and key applications. This Perspective focuses on the development of emission intensities and imaging based individual particle detection. Moreover, several key examples in the areas of sensing, motion, catalysis, energy, materials, and emerging trends in related areas are documented. We finally conclude with the opportunities and remaining challenges to stimulate further developments in this field.

Sustainable Electrochemical Activation of Self-Generated Persulfate for the Degradation of Endocrine Disruptors: Kinetics, Performances, and Mechanisms

This study presents an electrolysis system utilizing a novel self-circulation process of sulfate (SO42-) and persulfate (S2O82-) ions based on a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and an activated carbon fiber (ACF) cathode, which is designed to enable electrochemical remediation of environmental contaminants with reduced use of chemical reagents and minimized residues. The production of S2O82- and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the BDD anode and ACF cathode, respectively, is identified as the source of active radicals for the contaminant degradation. The initiator, sulfate, is identified by comparing the degradation efficiency in NaSO4 and NaNO3 electrolytes. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy confirmed that the SO4-· and ·OH generated on the ACF cathode are the main reactive radicals. A comparison of the degradation efficiency and the generated S2O82-/H2O2 of the divided/undivided electrolysis system is used to demonstrate the superiority of the synergistic effect between the BDD anode and ACF cathode. This work provides evidence of the effectiveness of the philosophy of "catalysis in lieu of supplementary chemical agents" and sheds light on the mechanism of the generation and transmission of reactive species in the BDD and ACF electrolysis system, thereby offering new perspectives for the design and optimization of electrolysis systems.

Electrochemiluminescent bioassay based on Ru@Zr-BTC-MOFs nanoparticles for determination of let-7a miRNA using the hybridization chain reaction

Carboxyl-rich tris(4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) ([Ru(dcbpy)3]2+) and 1,3,5-phenyl tricarboxylic acid (H3BTC) were used as the organic ligand to synthesize the metal-organic frameworks by a simple one-pot hydrothermal method with ZrCl4 as metal ion source. Subsequently, the excellent electrochemiluminescence (ECL) luminophore (denoted as Ru@Zr-BTC-MOFs) was obtained. The Ru@Zr-BTC-MOFs displayed outstanding ECL properties, and a sensitive ECL bioassay based on Ru@Zr-BTC-MOFs was designed for the detection of let-7a microRNA (miRNA) using hybrid chain reaction (HCR). Under the optimal experimental conditions, the proposed bioassay exhibited a good linear relationship in the range from 50.0 fM to 5.00 × 102 pM with a detection limit of 3.71 fM. Besides, the proposed sensor exhibited satisfactory performance in real samples. The recovery was 91 ~ 108%, and the relative standard deviation was less than 5.6%. It might have potential clinical applications for detecting miRNA in biomedical research and clinical diagnosis. The schematic diagram of the preparation of Ru@Zr-BTC-MOFs (a) and ECL sensor for detecting let -7a (b).

Nanoconfined Cathodic Electrochemiluminescence for Self-Sensitized Bioimaging of Membrane Protein

Self-enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) can be achieved via the confinement of coreactants and ECL emitters in a single nanostructure. This strategy has been used for the design of anodic ECL systems with amine compounds as coreactants. In this work, a novel confinement system was proposed by codoping positively charged ECL emitter tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+) and negatively charged coreactant peroxydisulfate (S2O82-) in silica nanoparticles. The codoping process could be performed by introducing S2O82- in cationic poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) to form PDDA@S2O82- and then encapsulating it and Ru(bpy)32+ in the Triton X-100 vesicle followed by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl ortosilicate, surface modification, and demulsification. The obtained RuSSNs exhibited good homogeneity, excellent monodispersity, acceptable biocompatibility, and 2.9-fold stronger ECL emission than Ru(bpy)32+-doped silica nanoparticles at an equal amount of nanoparticles in the presence of 0.1 M K2S2O8. Thus, an in situ self-sensitized cathodic ECL imaging method was designed for the monitoring of glycoprotein on living cell membranes. This work provides a new way for the modification, enhancement, and application of nano-ECL emitters in biological analysis.

Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium (II) complex as a universal reagent for the fabrication of heterogeneous electrochemiluminescence platforms and its recent analytical applications

In recent years, electrochemiluminescence (ECL) has received enormous attention and has emerged as one of the most successful tools in the field of analytical science. Compared with homogeneous ECL, the heterogeneous (or solid-state) ECL has enhanced the rate of the electron transfer kinetics and offers rapid response time, which is highly beneficial in point-of-care and clinical applications. In ECL, the luminophore is the key element, which dictates the overall performance of the ECL-based sensors in various analytical applications. Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium (II) complex, Ru(bpy)32+, is a coordination compound, which is the gold-standard luminophore in ECL. It has played a key role in translating ECL from a "laboratory curiosity" to a commercial analytical instrument for diagnosis. The aim of the present review is to provide the principles of ECL and classical reaction mechanisms-particularly involving the heterogeneous Ru(bpy)32+/co-reactant ECL systems, as well as the fabrication methods and its importance over solution-phase Ru(bpy)32+ ECL. Then, we discussed the emerging technology in solid-state Ru(bpy)32+ ECL-sensing platforms and their recent potential analytical applications such as in immunoassay sensors, DNA sensors, aptasensors, bio-imaging, latent fingerprint detection, point-of-care testing, and detection of non-biomolecules. Finally, we also briefly cover the recent advances in solid-state Ru(bpy)32+ ECL coupled with the hyphenated techniques.

Facile preparation of poly-(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) encapsulated Iridium(III) complexes as highly efficient electrochemiluminescence indicators for sensitive immunoassay of CYFRA 21-1

Exploring facile strategy for developing highly efficient emitters using water-insoluble luminophores has become a vital topic in electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoassay. In this work, an ECL-active and water-dispersive iridium(III) complex-based polymer dots (IrPdots) was fabricated by encapsulating water-insoluble tris[1-phenylisoquinolinato-C2, N] iridium(III) complexes [Ir(piq)₃] into poly-(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (PSMA) matrix by a controllable nanoprecipitation process. The obtained IrPdots generated strong ECL signals in the presence of tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) and were used to label detection antibody (Ab₂) to act as ECL probes to indicate the signal changes when analyzing target antigen. To construct a sandwich immunosensor, Pd nanoparticles (NPs) decorated MoS₂/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanocomposites (MoS₂/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene/Pd) were fabricated as substrates to bind capture antibody (Ab₁), which could further amplify ECL signals via a coreaction-accelerating pathway to improve the detection sensitivity. When the cytokeratin 19 fragment 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) was chosen as model analyte, the developed immunosensor displayed a good linear relationship ranging from 0.1 pg/mL to 50 ng/mL with a low detection limit of 95 fg/mL (S/N = 3) was achieved as well. This research proposed a facile and effective method of fabricating IrPdots as ECL probes for immunoassay using water-insoluble iridium complexes, which expanded the application scope of those water-insoluble luminophores for aqueous bioanalysis.

Directionally In Situ Self-Assembled Iridium(III)-Polyimine Complex-Encapsulated Metal-Organic Framework Two-Dimensional Nanosheet Electrode To Boost Electrochemiluminescence Sensing

Manufacturing electrochemiluminescence (ECL) electrodes to detect analytes with high performance in the aqueous phase for water-insoluble metal complexes is a great challenge. Here, a directional self-assembling avenue for in situ fabricating iridium(III)-polyimine complex-encapsulated metal-organic framework (MOF) two-dimensional electrode Hf-MOF/Ir2PD/APS/ITO is developed. The electrode displayed bright red ECL emission with high stability in the aqueous phase and specific adsorption toward ssDNA against dsDNA and mNs. That is to say, a "high-performance and multifunctional ECL electrode" is presented and explored for sensitive detection of acetamiprid (Ace) with a limit of detection of 0.0025 nM, where Ace-aptamer recognition-switched Exonuclease III-mediated digestion to make large numbers of Fc-labeled ssDNA transform into Fc-mNs. Furthermore, the proposed method was triumphantly employed to monitor the change in the residual concentration of Ace in pakchoi. This work breaks through the bottleneck of metal complex-based ECL emission in organic solvents and provides a novel strategy to develop high-performance ECL sensors.

Iron Single-Atom Catalyst-Enabled Peroxydisulfate Activation Enhances Cathodic Electrochemiluminescence of Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II)

The tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺)-tripropylamine anodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) system has been widely applied in commercial bioanalysis. However, the presence of amine compounds in the biological environment results in unavoidable anodic interference signals, which hinder further extensive use of the system. In contrast, the cathodic Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ ECL system can overcome these limitations. The Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/peroxydisulfate (S₂O₈^2-, PDS) ECL system has been extensively employed due to its ability to produce a sulfate radical anion (SO₄^•-) with strong oxidation ability, which enhances the ECL signal. However, the symmetrical molecular structure of PDS makes it challenging to be activated and causes low luminescence efficiency. To address this issue, we propose an efficient Ru(bpy)₃²⁺-based ternary ECL system that uses the iron-nitrogen-carbon single-atom catalyst (Fe-N-C SAC) as an advanced accelerator. Fe-N-C SAC can efficiently activate PDS into reactive oxygen species at a lower voltage, which significantly boosts the cathodic ECL emission of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺. Benefiting from the outstanding catalytic activity of Fe-N-C SAC, we successfully established an ECL biosensor that detects alkaline phosphatase activity with high sensitivity, demonstrating the feasibility of practical application.

Bright near-infrared circularly polarized electrochemiluminescence from Au9Ag4 nanoclusters

Metal nanoclusters are excellent electrochemiluminescent luminophores owing to their rich electrochemical and optical properties. However, the optical activity of their electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is unknown. Herein, we achieved, for the first time, the integration of optical activity and ECL, i.e., circularly polarized electrochemiluminescence (CPECL), in a pair of chiral Au₉Ag₄ metal nanocluster enantiomers. Chiral ligand induction and alloying were employed to endow the racemic nanoclusters with chirality and photoelectrochemical reactivity. S-Au₉Ag₄ and R-Au₉Ag₄ exhibited chirality and bright-red emission (quantum yield = 4.2%) in the ground and excited states. The enantiomers showed mirror-imaged CPECL signals at 805 nm owing to their highly intense and stable ECL emission in the presence of tripropylamine as a co-reactant. The ECL dissymmetry factor of the enantiomers at 805 nm was calculated to be ±3 × 10^-3, which is comparable with that obtained from their photoluminescence. The obtained nanocluster CPECL platform shows the discrimination of chiral 2-chloropropionic acid. The integration of optical activity and ECL in metal nanoclusters provides the opportunity to achieve enantiomer discrimination and local chirality detection with high sensitivity and contrast.

A fluorescence-electrochemiluminescence dual-mode sensor based on a "switch" system for highly selective and sensitive K-ras gene detection

Herein, an fluorescence (FL)-electrochemiluminescence (ECL) dual-mode biosensor is constructed based on the dual-signal "turn-on" strategy of functionalized metal-organic frameworks nanosheets (RuMOFNSs)-tetraferrocene for K-ras gene detection, and the mechanism of bursting through front-line orbital theory is explained for the first time. Amino-functionalized tetraferrocene-labeled probe DNA molecules are linked to RuMOFNSs by covalent amide bonds, acting as FL and ECL intensity switches. The target DNA, complementary to the probe DNA, triggers cyclic amplification of the target by nucleic acid exonuclease III (Exo III), repelling tetraferrocene reporter groups away from RuMOFNSs and inhibiting the electron transfer process and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) effect. These phenomena induce a double turn-on of FL and ECL signals with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The developed FL-ECL dual-mode sensing platform provides sensitive detection of the K-ras gene with detection limits of 0.01 fM (the detection range is 1 fM to 1 nM) and 0.003 fM (the detection range is 0.01 fM to 10 pM), respectively. In addition, the proposed dual-mode sensor can be easily extended to detect other disease-related biomarkers by changing the specific target and probe base sequences, depicting potential applications in bioanalysis and early disease diagnosis.

Integrating anodic sulfate activation with cathodic H2O2 production/activation to generate the sulfate and hydroxyl radicals for the degradation of emerging organic contaminants

Conventional electrocatalytic degradation of pollutants involves either cathodic reduction or anodic oxidation process, which caused the low energy utilization efficiency. In this study, we successfully couple the anodic activation of sulfates with the cathodic H₂O₂ production/activation to boost the generation of sulfate radical (SO₄^·-) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) for the efficient degradation of emerging contaminants. The electrocatalysis reactor is composed of a modified-graphite-felt (GF) cathode, in-situ prepared by the carbonization of polyaniline (PANI) electrodeposited on a GF substrate, and a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. In the presence of sulfates, the electrocatalysis system shows superior activities towards the degradation of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), with the optimal performance of completely degrading the representative pollutant carbamazepine (CBZ, 0.2 mg L^-1) within 150 s. Radicals quenching experiments indicated that ·OH and SO₄^·- act as the main reactive oxygen species for CBZ decomposition. Results from the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and chronoamperometry studies verified that the sulfate ions were oxidized to SO₄^·-radicals at the anode, while the dissolve oxygen molecules were reduced to H₂O₂ molecules which were further activated to produce ·OH radicals at the cathode. It was also found that during the catalytic reactions SO₄^·-radicals could spontaneously convert into peroxydisulfate (PDS) which were subsequently reduced back to SO₄^·-at the cathodes. The quasi-steady-state concentrations of ·OH and SO₄^·-were estimated to be 0.51×10^-12 M and 0.56×10^-12 M, respectively. This study provides insight into the synergistic generation of ·OH/SO₄^·- from the integrated electrochemical anode oxidation of sulfate and cathode reduction of dissolved oxygen, which indicates a potential practical approach to efficiently degrade the emerging organic water contaminants.

Chemiluminescence quenching capacity as a surrogate for total organic carbon in wastewater

Total organic carbon (TOC) is a valuable indicator to evaluate the degree of organic pollution in wastewater. Real-time analysis of TOC in wastewater can allow the wastewater treatment plants to manage the treatment process efficiently, avoid violations of the discharge regulations, and eliminate overtreatment. However, traditional methods for TOC determination are time-consuming. Benefitting from the rapid generation of SO₄^•- in the iron(II)-activated peroxymonosulfate (Fe(II)/PMS) system and the high reactivity of SO₄^•- towards naproxen as a chemiluminescence (CL) probe, a surrogate for TOC based on the determination of CL quenching capacity (CLQC) of organics in the Fe(II)/PMS-naproxen system was developed. According to the derived equation by considering both non-fluorescent and fluorescent quenching, the CLQC of organics in the Fe(II)/PMS-naproxen system was highly dependent on their TOC, making it to be a potential surrogate for TOC. The interferences of ubiquitous inorganic ions in wastewater on the determination of CLQC were leveled by adjusting electrical conductivity and adding mercury ions. Finally, the feasibility of CLQC as a surrogate for TOC in two real wastewaters containing different concentrations of inorganic anions was confirmed. This work can provide a TOC value within several seconds by determining the CLQC of wastewater with Fe(II)/PMS-naproxen system.

Boron-Doped Diamond Electrode Outperforms the State-of-the-Art Electrochemiluminescence from Microbeads Immunoassay

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is a powerful transduction technique where light emission from a molecular species is triggered by an electrochemical reaction. Application to biosensors has led to a wide range of electroanalytical methods with particular impact on clinical analysis for diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring. Therefore, the quest for increasing the sensitivity while maintaining reproducible and easy procedures has brought investigations and innovations in (i) electrode materials, (ii) luminophores, and (iii) reagents. Particularly, the ECL signal is strongly affected by the electrode material and its surface modification during the ECL experiments. Here, we exploit boron-doped diamond (BDD) as an electrode material in microbead-based ECL immunoassay to be compared with the approach used in commercial instrumentation. We conducted a careful characterization of ECL signals from a tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺)/tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) system, both homogeneous (i.e., free diffusing Ru(bpy)₃²⁺) and heterogeneous (i.e., Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ bound on microbeads). We investigated the methods to promote TPrA oxidation, which led to the enhancement of ECL intensity, and the results revealed that the BDD surface properties greatly affect the ECL emission, so it does the addition of neutral, cationic, or anionic surfactants. Our results from homogeneous and heterogeneous microbead-based ECL show opposite outcomes, which have practical consequences in ECL optimization. In conclusion, by using Ru(bpy)₃²⁺-labeled immunoglobulins bound on microbeads, the ECL resulted in an increase of 70% and a double signal-to-noise ratio compared to platinum electrodes, which are actually used in commercial instrumentation for clinical analysis. This research infers that microbead-based ECL immunoassays with a higher sensitivity can be realized by BDD.

A sensitive electrochemiluminescent sensor chip based on ssDNA-Ru (II) complex and aptamer for the determination of thrombin

In this work, an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor chip for sensitive detection of thrombin (TB) was prepared using a screen-printed electrode (SPE) as a working electrode and an aptamer as a specific recognition moiety. To produce an ECL sensor chip, a layer of pL-Cys was immobilized on the surface of SPE by the cyclic voltammetry scanning method, a layer of AuNPs was assembled through an Au-S bond and hairpin DNA was further immobilized on the electrode surface. Ru (bpy)₂ (mcpbpy)²⁺ , as a luminescent reagent, was covalently bound to ssDNA to prepare a luminescent probe ssDNA-Ru. The probe hybridized with TB aptamer to form a capture probe. In the presence of TB, the TB aptamer in the capture probe bound to TB, causing the release of ssDNA-Ru that could bind to hairpin DNA on the electrode surface. Ru (II) complex as a luminescent reagent was assembled onto the electrode, and pL-Cys was used as a co-reactant to. enhance the ECL efficiency. The ECL signal of the sensor chip generated based on the above principles had a linear relationship with log TB concentration at a range of 10 fM-1 nM, and the detection limit was 0.2 fM. Finally, TB detection by this method was verified using real blood samples. This work provides a new method using an aptamer as a foundation and SPE as a material for the detection of biological substances.

Conjugated Polymers for Biomedical Applications

Conjugated polymers (CPs) are a series of organic semiconductor materials with large π-conjugated backbones and delocalized electronic structures. Due to their specific photophysical properties and photoelectric effects, plenty of CPs...

Diamond-Based Electrodes for Detection of Metal Ions and Anions

Diamond electrodes have long been a well-known candidate in electrochemical analyte detection. Nano- and micro-level modifications on the diamond electrodes can lead to diverse analytical applications. Doping of crystalline diamond allows the fabrication of suitable electrodes towards specific analyte monitoring. In particular, boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes have been reported for metal ions, anions, biomolecules, drugs, beverage hazards, pesticides, organic molecules, dyes, growth stimulant, etc., with exceptional performance in discriminations. Therefore, numerous reviews on the diamond electrode-based sensory utilities towards the specified analyte quantifications were published by many researchers. However, reviews on the nanodiamond-based electrodes for metal ions and anions are still not readily available nowadays. To advance the development of diamond electrodes towards the detection of diverse metal ions and anions, it is essential to provide clear and focused information on the diamond electrode synthesis, structure, and electrical properties. This review provides indispensable information on the diamond-based electrodes towards the determination of metal ions and anions.

Electrochemiluminescent determination of prostate-specific antigen using Au@(MoS2/GO/o-MWNTs) nanohybrids as co-reaction accelerator and hyperbranched hybridization chain reaction for signal amplification

Three-dimensional flowerlike Au@(MoS₂/GO/o-MWNTs) nanohybrids (abbreviated as AMGMs) were synthesized and then introduced into an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) system as a new co-reaction accelerator for the ultrasensitive prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The AMGMs not only served as a substrate with good conductivity and a large specific surface area for loading abundant primary antibodies but also acted as an effective co-reaction accelerator; the co-reaction accelerator could interact with a co-reactant rather than the luminophore to boost the generation of free radical intermediates, thereby producing abundant excited states of luminophores to amplify the ECL signal response. Additionally, an anticipated signal amplification strategy based on the hybridization chain reaction (HCR) was developed by gathering a large amount of a DNA initiator on gold nanoparticles. These gathered DNA initiators could generate multiple DNA concatemers and attach more signal molecules, which resulted in outstanding exponential signal amplification. Consequently, the ECL immunosensor demonstrated high sensitivity, with a linear range from 0.1 pg mL^-1 to 50 ng mL^-1 and a detection limit of 0.028 pg mL^-1. In addition, the immunosensor displayed excellent stability and selectivity. It was evaluated by analyzing human serum sample. The recovery obtained was 98.80-112.00% and the RSD was 1.73-3.12%, indicating the immunosensor could be applied to the simultaneous detection of PSA in human serum samples. Graphical abstract.

Electrochemiluminescence biosensor for microRNA determination based on AgNCs@MoS2 composite with (AuNPs-Semicarbazide)@Cu-MOF as coreaction accelerator

A novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor was fabricated for miRNA-162a detection by using silver nanoclusters/molybdenum disulfide (AgNCs@MoS₂) as an ECL material, peroxodisulfate (S₂O₈^2-) as a co-reactant, and semicarbazide (Sem) as a co-reaction accelerator. Firstly, hairpin probe H_a modified on AgNCs@MoS₂/GCE was unfolded based on its hybridization with target microRNA. Then, the unfolded H_a can further be hybridized with another hairpin DNA of H_b on (AuNPs-semicarbazide)@Cu-MOF, resulting in the release of target microRNA, which further causes a cyclic hybridization. This creates more (AuNPs-semicarbazide)@Cu-MOF on the electrode surface, achieving cyclic hybridization signal amplification. Strikingly, due to the presence of Sem, accelerating the reduction of S₂O₈^2- and resulting in the generation of more oxidant intermediates of SO₄^2-, the amount of excited states of Agincreases to further amplify the ECL signal. The biosensor exhibited high sensitivity with a low LOD of 1.067 fM, indicating that the introduction of co-reaction accelerators can provide an effective method for signal amplification. The applicability of this method was assessed by investigating the effect of Pb(II) ion on miRNA-162a expression level in maize seedling leaves. A novel electrochemiluminescence biosensor was fabricated for miRNA-162a detection by using silver nanoclusters/molybdenum disulfide as an ECL material, peroxodisulfate as a co-reactant, and semicarbazide as a co-reaction accelerator.

An electrochemiluminescence sensor for 17β-estradiol detection based on resonance energy transfer in α-FeOOH@CdS/Ag NCs

An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) resonance energy transfer system is constructed for 17β-estradiol (E2) detection using α-FeOOH@CdS nanospheres as the ECL-active substrates and Ag NCs as an efficient quencher. CdS QDs loaded onto three-dimensional (3D) urchin-like α-FeOOH nanospheres (α-FeOOH@CdS nanospheres) exhibited excellent ECL responses, which is attributed to dual-amplification of α-FeOOH frameworks. The 3D hierarchical structure of the α-FeOOH nanospheres provided abundant sites for loading ECL-active species, thus significantly improving the ECL performance of substrates; While Fe³⁺ presented on surface of α-FeOOH nanospheres could be reduced to Fe²⁺ in negative potentials, after which might activate persulfate in a Fenton-like process, resulting in more sulfate free radicals for more effective ECL responses via electron transfer reactions. Additionally, Ag nanoclusters (Ag NCs) stabilized by single stranded oligonucleotide were introduced as quenching probes for CdS QDs owing to the well-matched donor-acceptor spectrum for efficient energy transfer, which makes them appropriate for detection of E2. The proposed strategy displayed a desirable dynamic range from 0.01 to 10 pg mL^-1 with a limit of detection of 0.003 pg mL^-1. The proposed strategy based on the ECL-RET strategy offered an ideal way for E2 detection, and also revealed an alternative platform for detection of other small molecules.

Postsynthesis Ligand Exchange Induced Porphyrin Hybrid Crystalloid Reconstruction for Self-Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence

In traditional coreactant electrochemiluminescence (ECL), the efficiency of the coreactant catalyzed into an active intermediate is one of the dominant factors restricting the luminous intensity. In this work, Co-2-MI-ZnTCPP is designed as a composite material integrating coreaction accelerator (Co-N) and luminophore. Through the catalytic effect of Co-N structures on hydrogen peroxide, the in situ generation and accumulation of active intermediates are achieved, which will react with porphyrin anion radical, thereby bringing out self-enhanced ECL. By adjusting the scanning potential range, the ECL mechanism is thoroughly studied and the contribution of each potential window to the luminescence is obtained. This work provides inspiration for the design of integrated ECL emitters with a coreaction accelerator and luminophore, providing a new way for the construction of a self-enhanced ECL emitter.

Cathodic electrogenerated chemiluminescence of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(ii) and peroxydisulfate at pure Ti3C2Tx MXene electrodes

We demonstrate the first use of pure films of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides (Ti₃C₂T_x MXene) as an electrode material for electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL). The Ti₃C₂T_x MXene electrodes exhibited excellent electrochemical stability in the cathodic scan range and produced bright reductive-oxidation ECL using peroxydisulfate as a co-reactant with the tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(ii) ([Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺) luminophore.

Facile Preparation of WO3-x Dots with Remarkably Low Toxicity and Uncompromised Activity as Co-reactants for Clinical Diagnosis by Electrochemiluminescence

The exceptional nature of WO_3-x dots has inspired widespread interest, but it is still a significant challenge to synthesize high-quality WO_3-x dots without using unstable reactants, expensive equipment, and complex synthetic processes. Herein, the synthesis of ligand-free WO_3-x dots is reported that are highly dispersible and rich in oxygen vacancies by a simple but straightforward exfoliation of bulk WS₂ and a mild follow-up chemical conversion. Surprisingly, the WO_3-x dots emerged as co-reactants for the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of Ru(bpy)₃ ²⁺ with a comparable ECL efficiency to the well-known Ru(bpy)₃ ²⁺ /tripropylamine (TPrA) system. Moreover, compared to TPrA, whose toxicity remains a critical issue of concern, the WO_3-x dots were ca. 300-fold less toxic. The potency of WO_3-x dots was further explored in the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) with the most competitive limit of detection so far.

Wireless Charging Electrochemiluminescence System for Ionic Channel Manipulation in Living Cells

Optogenetics holds great potential for precisely altering living cell behavior with the aid of light because of its high temporospatial resolution. However, the light-dependent manner severely limits its applications in deep tissues, particularly to those in the visible region. Here, we propose a wireless charging electrochemiluminescence (ECL) system, featured with long-time delayed luminescence, to remotely activate the light-gated ion channel (channelrhodopsin-2, ChR2) on the living cell membrane, followed by the intracellular influx of Ca²⁺ ions. Upon wireless charging ECL illumination, the influx of Ca²⁺ into the living cells triggers strong ion indicator fluorescence, suggesting the successful remote control on ChR2. As such, the wireless charging ECL strategy exhibits great potential to wireless control of optogenetics in deep tissues by implanting a device in vivo.

Metal-organic frameworks-based sensitive electrochemiluminescence biosensing

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as porous materials have attracted much attention in various fields such as gas storage, catalysis, separation, and nanomedical engineering. However, their applications in electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensing are limited due to the poor conductivity, lack of modification sites, low stability and specificity, and weak biocompatibility. Integrating the functional materials into MOF structures endows MOF composites with improved conductivity and stability and facilitates the design of ECL sensors with multifunctional MOFs, which are potentially advantageous over their individual components. This review summarizes the strategies for designing ECL-active MOF composites including using luminophore as a ligand, in situ encapsulation of luminophore within the framework, and post-synthetic modification. As-prepared MOF composites can serve as innovative emitters, luminophore carriers, electrode modification materials and co-reaction accelerators in ECL biosensors. The sensing applications of ECl-active MOF composites in the past five years are highlighted including immunoassays, genosensors, and small molecule detection. Finally, the prospects and challenges associated with MOF composites and their related materials for ECL biosensing are tentatively proposed.

Amplified electrochemiluminescence signals promoted by the AIE-active moiety of D-A type polymer dots for biosensing

Three-component conjugated polymers of a strong donor-acceptor (D-A) type could be synthesized by Pd-catalyzed Suzuki coupling polymerization reaction of 1,2-bis(4-bromophenyl)-1,2-diphenylethene (M-1) with 9-octyl-3,6-bis(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)-9H-carbazole (M-2) and 4,6-bis((E)-4-bromostyryl)-2,2-difluoro-5-phenyl-2H-1l3,3,2l4-dioxaborinine (M-3). Among them, P-1 and P-2 with high TPE ratios at 0.95 and 0.9 showed obvious aggregation-induced emission (AIE) behavior; in contrast P-3 with a low TPE ratio at 0.8 showed an aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) phenomenon. In particular, the three resulting polymer dots (P-1 to P-3 Pdots) exhibited a 200 mV lower electrochemiluminescence (ECL) potential due to their strong D-A electronic structure. Most importantly, the ECL signals of Pdots could be enhanced as high as 3 times by increasing their AIE-active TPE moiety ratios from 0.8 (P-3) to 0.95 (P-1) via the band gap emission process. Herein, P-1 Pdots with the strongest ECL signal were successfully used as ECL biosensors for the detection of catechol, epinephrine and dopamine with detection limits of 1, 7 and 3 nM, respectively. This work provides a new strategy for developing highly sensitive ECL biosensors by the smart structure design of the AIE-active Pdots.

A mass-amplifying electrochemiluminescence film (MAEF) for the visual detection of dopamine in aqueous media

A bright and metal-free mass-amplifying electrochemiluminescence film (MAEF) performing in aqueous media was reported for the first time. Systematic studies demonstrated that the film substrates have a remarkable influence on the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) performance. Gold substrates promote ECL reactions and the subsequent radiative decay process simultaneously, affording an unconventional 507-fold ECL enhancement. Such a gold-enhanced MAEF is opposite to ECL systems previously reported, in which the use of gold electrodes normally results in decreased ECL intensity due to passivation of the gold surface by oxide formation. More importantly, the ECL intensity of the MAEF is linearly amplified through facilely regulating luminogen loading. Morphological analysis reveals that the film consists of grass-like nanowires with a diameter of 57 nm, which facilitate electrical communication between the luminogen, electrode, and supporting electrolyte, giving rise to the mass-amplifying ECL. The bright ECL of the solid film in aqueous media can be readily observed by the naked eye, entirely different from visible ECL systems reported in which ruthenium complexes dissolved/dispersed in solution are used as the luminogens. The film is further utilized to detect dopamine (DA), an important biomolecule related to nervous diseases, in aqueous media, with a low detection limit of 3.3 × 10-16 M. Furthermore, a facile method based on grayscale analysis of ECL images (GAEI) of the film was developed for visual and ultrasensitive DA detection in aqueous media.

Self-enhanced multicolor electrochemiluminescence by competitive electron-transfer processes

Controlling electrochemiluminescence (ECL) color(s) is crucial for many applications ranging from multiplexed bioassays to ECL microscopy. This can only be achieved through the fundamental understanding of high-energy electron-transfer processes in complex and competitive reaction schemes. Recently, this field has generated huge interest, but the effective implementation of multicolor ECL is constrained by the limited number of ECL-active organometallic dyes. Herein, the first self-enhanced organic ECL dye, a chiral red-emitting cationic diaza [4]helicene connected to a dimethylamino moiety by a short linker, is reported. This molecular system integrates bifunctional ECL features (i.e. luminophore and coreactant) and each function may be operated either separately or simultaneously. This unique level of control is enabled by integrating but decoupling both molecular functions in a single molecule. Through this dual molecular reactivity, concomitant multicolor ECL emission from red to blue with tunable intensity is readily obtained in aqueous media. This is done through competitive electron-transfer processes between the helicene and a ruthenium or iridium dye. The reported approach provides a general methodology to extend to other coreactant/luminophore systems, opening enticing perspectives for spectrally distinct detection of several analytes, and original analytical and imaging strategies.

Unusual Electrochemical Properties of Low-Doped Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes Containing sp2 Carbon

Unexpected phenomena displayed by low-boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes are disclosed in the present work. Generally, the presence of sp² nondiamond carbon impurities in BDD electrodes causes undesirable electrochemical properties, such as a reduced potential window and increased background current, etc. However, we found that the potential window and redox reaction in normally doped (1%) BDD and low-doped (0.1%) BDD exhibited opposite tendencies depending on the extent of sp² carbon. Moreover, we found that contrary to the usual expectations, low-doped BDD containing sp² carbon hinders electron transfer, whereas in line with expectations, normally doped BDD containing sp² exhibits enhanced electron transfer. Surface analyses by X-ray/ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS) and electrochemical methods are utilized to explain these unusual phenomena. This work indicates that the electrochemical properties of low-doped BDD containing sp² might be due partially to the high level of surface oxygen, the large work function, the low carrier density, and the existence of different types of sp² carbon.

Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence by in Situ Production of Coreactant Hydrogen Peroxide in Carbonate Aqueous Solution at a Boron-Doped Diamond Electrode

An electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) system by in situ coreactant production, where Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ emission is generated at a boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode, is presented. The system takes advantage of the unique properties of BDD to promote oxidation of carbonate (CO₃^2-) into peroxydicarbonate (C₂O₆^2-), which further reacts with water to form hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), which acts as a coreactant for Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ ECL. Investigation of the mechanism reveals that ECL emission is triggered by the reduction of H₂O₂ to hydroxyl radicals (OH^•), which later react with the reduced Ru(bpy)₃⁺ molecules to form excited states, followed by light emission. The ECL signal was found to increase with the concentration of CO₃^2-; therefore, with the concentration of electrogenerated H₂O₂, although at the same time, higher concentrations of H₂O₂ can quench the ECL emission, resulting in a decrease in intensity. The carbonate concentration, pH, and oxidation parameters, such as potential and time, were optimized to find the best emission conditions.

Pore Confinement-Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence on SnO2 Nanocrystal Xerogel with NO3- As Co-Reactant and Its Application in Facile and Sensitive Bioanalysis

Herein, 10-fold electrochemiluminescence (ECL) enhancement from a porous SnO₂ nanocrystal (SnO₂ NC) xerogel (vs discrete SnO₂ NCs) was first observed with NO₃^- as a novel coreactant. This new booster phenomenon caused by pore characteristic was defined as "pore confinement-induced ECL enhancement", which originated from two possible reasons: First, the SnO₂ NC xerogel with hierarchically porous structure could not only localize massive luminophore near the electrode surface, more importantly, but could accelerate the electrochemical and chemiluminescence reaction efficiency because the pore channels of xerogel could promote the mass transport and electron transfer in the confined spaces. Second, the NO₃^- could be in situ reduced easily to the active nitrogen species by means of the pore confinement effect, which could be served as a new coreactant for nanocrystal-based ECL amplification with the excellent stability and good biocompatibility. As a proof of concept, a facile and sensitive sensing platform for SO₃^2- detection has been successfully constructed upon effectively quenching of SO₃^2- toward the SnO₂ NC xerogel/NO₃^- ECL system. The key feature about this work presented a grand avenue to achieve the strong ECL signal, especially from weak emitters, which gave a fresh impetus to the construction of new-generation of surface-confined ECL platform with potential applications in ECL imaging and sensing.

Gold nanoparticles decorated carbon nitride nanosheets as a coreactant regulate the conversion of the dual-potential electrochemiluminescence of Ru(bpy)32+ for Hg2+ detection

Dual-potential electrochemiluminescence of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ for Hg²⁺ assay using Au–g-C₃N₄ NSs as on-electrode coreactant.

In Situ Growing Triethanolamine-Functionalized Metal-Organic Frameworks on Two-Dimensional Carbon Nanosheets for Electrochemiluminescent Immunoassay

A facile strategy for in situ growing triethanolamine (TEOA)-functionalized metal-organic framework (TEOA@MOF) on the two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) or g-C₃N₄ nanosheets via the self-assembly technique was introduced. In this method, Zn²⁺ was first attached on the carbon nanosheets by electrostatic interaction; then, trimesic acid (H₃btc) acted as the complex agent and TEOA as a base for the deprotonation of H₃btc and a template, which leads to in situ growing the MOF on the carbon nanosheets obtaining a sandwich-like structure. Different types of surface analysis techniques were employed to characterize the GO-TEOA@MOFs and g-C₃N₄-TEOA@MOFs nanomaterials fabricated. The GO-TEOA@MOFs or g-C₃N₄-TEOA@MOFs nanomaterial-modified electrode brings out obviously enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) behaviors due to numerous TEOA in the framework structures. Specifically, both TEOA and GO can serve as the co-reactants for the ECL system of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ and have the synergic effect of enhancing the signal. Based on the GO-TEOA@MOFs modified electrodes, we developed a sensitive and rapid label-free ECL immunoassay strategy for human copeptin, and the linear range was 5 pg mL^-1 to 500 ng mL^-1 as well as the limit of detection was 360 fg mL^-1. This work exhibits excellent specificity and good stability of the prepared immunosensor in the practical sample determination, demonstrating it can serve as a very promising method for the clinical diagnostics of acute myocardial infarction disease.

Ultrasensitive Immunosensor for Cardiac Troponin I Detection Based on the Electrochemiluminescence of 2D Ru-MOF Nanosheets

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL)-functionalized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted increasing attention in biosensing in virtue of their diverse and tunable optical properties. A famous ECL luminophore, carboxyl-rich tris(4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) (Ru(dcbpy)₃²⁺), possesses the characteristics of good water solubility and excellent ECL performance and also has the potential to be the organic ligand of metal-organic frameworks. Herein, functionalized MOF nanosheets (RuMOFNSs) containing plenty of Ru(dcbpy)₃²⁺ in the frameworks were synthesized in aqueous solution by a simple one-pot method. In this protocol, Ru(dcbpy)₃²⁺ acted as organic ligand to coordinate with Zn²⁺ originated from Zn(NO₃)₂, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as structure-directing agent to control the formation of sheetlike structure. For practical application, a "signal-on" ECL immunosensor was designed for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) detection by employing RuMOFNSs as ECL probe. The immunosensor exhibited high sensitivity and excellent selectivity for cTnI detection in the range from 1 fg/mL to 10 ng/mL with a detection limit as low as 0.48 fg/mL. Finally, the biosensor was successfully applied for the detection of cTnI in human serum sample with satisfactory results, demonstrating its potential application in bioanalysis and clinical diagnosis.

Lanthanide terbium complex: synthesis, electrochemiluminescence (ECL) performance, and sensing application

In this study, a new lanthanide terbium complex, Tb(pzda)3(NO3)3·nH2O, was synthesized by a hydrothermal method and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). It was found that the as-synthesized Tb-complex exhibited good electrochemiluminescence (ECL) behavior in the presence of triethanolamine (TEOA) in a HAc-NaAc buffer solution on a glassy carbon electrode. The possible reaction mechanism has been discussed based on the fluorescence spectra and ECL spectra. For sensing applications, it was found that protocatechuic acid (PCA) had an obvious quenching effect on the ECL signal of the Tb-complex, and this resulted in a decreased ECL signal associated with the concentration of PCA. Therefore, a highly sensitive method for the detection of PCA was established with a linear range of 1.283 × 10-10 M to 3.845 × 10-4 M and a detection limit of 0.085 nM at an S/N ratio of 3. This novel ECL assay strategy with an outstanding ECL efficiency offers great potential for pharmaceutical analyses.