Antenna effect-modulated luminescent lanthanide complexes for biological sensing

With the discovery and further exploitation of the antenna effect, the optical properties of luminescent lanthanide complexes (LLCs) have been greatly improved. Antenna effect-modulated LLCs exhibit long luminescence lifetimes, large Stokes shifts, narrow emission spectra, pure chromaticity, and high photostability. Meanwhile, LLCs have garnered considerable attention in recent years and are widely used as biosensors in the fields of food safety, environmental monitoring, clinical diagnosis, and drug analysis. In this review, we first systematically review the design of antenna effect-modulated LLC sensors, including the construction principle of antenna effect in LLCs and the selection of antenna ligands. Secondly, the classification of antenna ligands was discussed in detail. Thirdly, biological sensing applications of antenna effect-modulated LLCs in the past three years are described in terms of the role of LLCs in fluorescence sensors and electrochemiluminescence sensors. Finally, we also discussed the challenges and emerging opportunities of antenna effect-modulated LLCs in future sensing applications.