Electrochemiluminescence of doped polystyrene beads in aqueous media

In order to use a water soluble organic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) reagent in an aqueous medium, a simple one-pot method was developed to synthesize 9,10-diphenylanthracene (9,10-DPA) doped polystyrene beads based on dispersion polymerization. The bead size was around 3 μm and they were well dispersed. Fluorescence experiments showed that the polystyrene beads were successfully doped in 9,10-DPA. The 9,10-DPA doped beads were then used in ECL studies, and they retained their ECL activity well. The results imply that polystyrene beads could be a suitable platform leading to the application of hydrophobic ECL reagents in aqueous media.