Signal-amplified detection of sodium pentachlorophenate using a radical-enhanced electrochemiluminescence strategy

A molecularly imprinted signal-on electrochemiluminescence (MIECL) sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ luminescence system was developed for rapid and highly sensitive detection of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its sodium salt (PCP-Na). In this design, PCP-Na acts as both the imprinting template and the ECL co-reaction accelerator, enabling target-driven signal amplification. Enhanced dual-channel electron transfer provides highly sensitive and selective detection of trace PCP-Na under experimental conditions. Under optimized parameters, the ECL signal exhibited a linear relationship (R² = 0.9990, LOD = 0.0060 μg/L) with the logarithm of PCP-Na concentration from 0.010 μg/L to 50.0 μg/L. Recoveries for seawater and three biological samples ranged from 85.0% to 114.0%, and relative standard deviations did not exceed 2.9%. The proposed MIECL sensor demonstrated high selectivity in real-sample analysis and shows strong potential for rapid determination of PCP and PCP-Na in environmental matrices.