MPF-mediated anion-π⁺ interaction for high-efficiency aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence system:...

Owing to its remarkable capability to address the core challenges of poor water-solubility and aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) for organic luminescent probes, aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence (AIE-ECL) has emerged as a focus of intensive research interest. Nevertheless, AIE-ECL systems still suffer from low efficiency, primarily stemming from the poor inefficient electron transfer capability, and inadequate water solubility of organic emitters. In this pioneering study, we incorporated the anion-π⁺ compound MPF into the AIE-ECL system, leveraging MPF's well-documented excellent electron transfer properties. It was found that the ECL intensity of MPF is approximately 1.6-fold higher than that of its structural analogues. This significant enhancement can be attributed to its superior electrical conductivity, strong AIE activity, and unique anionic-π⁺ structure. Furthermore, the MPF-based ECL system was successfully applied to the high-sensitivity detection of trace surfactant cetrimonium chloride (CC) with a low detection limit of 24.2 nM. This work not only overcomes the long-standing challenge of low luminescence efficiency induced by insufficient electron transfer in AIE-ECL systems but also substantially expands the research and application scope of ECL technology.