Spontaneous aggregation-enhanced electrochemiluminescence via galvanic strategy.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Developing novel luminophores is crucial for improving electrochemiluminescence (ECL) performance.
• Facile strategies for fabricating cost-effective ECL complexes by manipulating luminophore physical properties are underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel one-step galvanic technique for synthesizing aggregation-enhanced ECL (AEECL) ruthenium complexes.
• To demonstrate the first use of a galvanic process for synthesizing aggregate luminophores via electrostatic attraction.

Main Methods:

• Employed a one-step galvanic technique to synthesize ruthenium complexes with AEECL properties.
• Fabricated a binder-free, carbon paper-based AEECL analytical device for lidocaine detection.

Main Results:

• The synthesized ruthenium complexes exhibited AEECL properties, with 8.9 times higher ECL intensity and 13.6 times higher efficiency than traditional complexes.
• The luminophore demonstrated high stability across varied scan rates and temperatures.
• The AEECL device achieved a low detection limit of 0.34 nM for lidocaine with good selectivity.

Conclusions:

• The galvanic technique offers a facile and cost-effective strategy for fabricating high-performance AEECL luminophores.
• This approach represents a significant advancement in aggregate science and offers potential for biological analysis and bioimaging.