Electrochemistry and electrogenerated chemiluminescence of organic nanoparticles

This review discusses briefly the preparation, electrochemistry, and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) as well as spectroscopic properties of organic nanoparticles. Organic nanoparticles, ranging from several tens of nanometers to hundreds of nanometers in diameter, were successfully prepared by various methods. Using a simple reprecipitation method, organic nanoparticles of a very small size can be prepared and show unique electrochemical and ECL characteristics. As with inorganic nanoparticles, organic nanoparticles suggest possible applications, like labels for the analysis of biological materials with ECL.

     

A Fluorescent and Colorimetric Sensor for Nanomolar Detection of Co2+ in Water

A new disulfide‐based, imine‐linked fluorescent receptor 1 was processed into organic nanoparticles (ONPs) with an average particle size of 79 nm. The photophysical properties of the ONPs were evaluated by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. Receptor 1 selectively recognized Co²⁺ ions in water with a detection limit down to 88 nm.     

Electrochemistry and electrogenerated chemiluminescence of organic nanoparticles

This review discusses briefly the preparation, electrochemistry, and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) as well as spectroscopic properties of organic nanoparticles. Organic nanoparticles, ranging from several tens of nanometers to hundreds of nanometers in diameter, were successfully prepared by various methods. Using a simple reprecipitation method, organic nanoparticles of a very small size can be prepared and show unique electrochemical and ECL characteristics. As with inorganic nanoparticles, organic nanoparticles suggest possible applications, like labels for the analysis of biological materials with ECL.     

Versatile electrochemiluminescent organic emitters

Organic luminophores for electrochemiluminescence (ECL), namely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, have been the first molecules investigated since the beginning of ECL studies. Moving from organic solvents to water-based solutions in view of analytical applications, the attention on ECL emitters shifted to soluble inorganic complexes, which prevailed in both fundamental and applied research. However, the investigation of organic molecules has recently revived owing to new synthetic procedures and concepts. Polymeric nanoparticles, surface functionalisation, aggregation-induced emission (AIE), and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) sparked the research with renovated interest for organic molecules. Here, we introduce and summarise these new concepts behind organic emitters for ECL.     

Organic Nanoparticles with Persistent Luminescence for In Vivo Afterglow Imaging-Guided Photodynamic Therapy

Optical imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT), with precise localization and non-invasive treatment of tumors, is an emerging technique with great potential for cancer therapy. However, impaired by tissue auto-fluorescence that causes low signal-to-background ratio (SBR), most fluorescence imaging systems show poor sensitivity to tumors in vivo. In this study, we synthesized organic nanoparticles (ONPs) with persistent luminescence and good biocompatibility for afterglow imaging-guided PDT. The ONPs displayed near-infrared light emission with half-life time at minute level, which offered high SBR and good tissue penetration for in vivo afterglow tumor imaging. Taking advantage of their abundant singlet oxygen generation by NIR laser irradiation guided to the tumor sites, the ONPs also enabled imaging-guided PDT for efficient suppression of tumor growth in mice with minimal damage to major organs.     

A novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence sensor for pyrogallol with core-shell luminol-doped silica nanoparticles modified electrode by the self-assembled technique

The core-shell luminol-doped SiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized and immobilized on the surface of chitosan film coating graphite electrode by the self-assembled technique. Then, a novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor for pyrogallol was developed based on its ECL enhancing effect for the core-shell luminol-doped silica nanoparticles. The ECL analytical performances and the sensing mechanism of this ECL sensor for pyrogallol were investigated in detail. The corresponding results showed that: compared with the conventional ECL reaction procedures by luminol ECL reaction system, the electrochemical (EC) reaction of pyrogallol and its subsequent chemiluminescence (CL) reaction occurred in the different spatial region whilst offering a high efficiency to couple the EC with the CL reaction to form the ECL procedures. In this case, this new sensing scheme offered more potential to improve the analytical performances of the ECL reaction. Under the optimum experimental conditions, this ECL sensor showed less than 5% decrease in continuums over 100 times ECL measurements, the detection limit was 1.0 × 1.0⁻⁹ mol/L for pyrogallol. The linear range extended from 3.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L to 2.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L for pyrogallol.     

基于金属纳米簇的电化学发光分析应用研究进展

近年来,基于金属纳米簇结构的电化学发光(Electrochemiluminescence,ECL)特性发展新型分析检测方法已成为分析化学领域的研究热点.金属纳米簇作为一类介于分子和常规纳米颗粒之间的材料,其发光特性备受关注.本文对近年来基于金属纳米簇ECL分析的研究进展进行了评述,按配体分类简要介绍了与ECL相关的纳米簇的制备方法,以及纳米簇ECL研究的机制与应用,针对提高纳米簇ECL性能问题,重点讨论ECL增强和生物信号放大方法这两个主要的策略.此外,本文还对纳米簇在ECL体系中作为能量转移受体的应用进行了评述.     

Enhanced Catalytic Activity and Unexpected Products from the Oxidation of Cyclohexene by Organic Nanoparticles of 5,10,15,20‐Tetrakis‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinatoiron(III) in Water by Using O2

The catalytic oxidation of alkenes by most iron porphyrins using a variety of oxygen sources, but generally not dioxygen, yields the epoxide with minor quantities of other products. The turnover numbers for these catalysts are modest, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the porphyrin structure, axial ligands, and other reaction conditions. Halogenation of substituents increases the activity of the metalloporphyrin catalyst and/or makes it more robust to oxidative degradation. Oxidation of cyclohexene by 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinato iron(III), ([Fe^III(tppf₂₀)]) and H₂O₂ is typical of the latter: the epoxide is 99 % of the product and turnover numbers are about 350. 1 – 4 Herein, we report that dynamic organic nanoparticles (ONPs) of [Fe^III(tppf₂₀)] with a diameter of 10 nm, formed by host–guest solvent methods, catalytically oxidize cyclohexene with O₂ to yield only 2‐cyclohexene‐1‐one and 2‐cyclohexene‐1‐ol with approximately 10‐fold greater turnover numbers compared to the non‐aggregated metalloporphyrin in acetonitrile/methanol. These ONPs facilitate a greener reaction because the reaction solvent is 89 % water and O₂ is the oxidant in place of synthetic oxygen sources. This reactivity is unexpected because the metalloporphyrins are in close proximity and oxidative degradation of the catalyst should be enhanced, thus causing a significant decrease in catalytic turnovers. The allylic products suggest a different oxidative mechanism compared to that of the solvated metalloporphyrins. These results illustrate the unique properties of some ONPs relative to the component molecules or those attached to supports.     

Bright Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence of a Bis‐Donor Quadrupolar Spirofluorene Dye and Its Nanoparticles

A series of symmetric fluorescent dyes built from a spirofluorene core bearing electroactive end groups and having different conjugated linkers were prepared with a view to their use as building blocks for the preparation of electrochemiluminescent (ECL) dyes and nanoparticles. Their electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical, and ECL properties were first investigated in solution, and structure/activity relationships were derived. The electrochemical and ECL properties show drastic variation that could be tuned by means of the nature of the π‐conjugated system, the end groups, and the core. In this series, highly fluorescent dye 1 based on a spirofluorene core and triphenylamine end groups connected via thiophene moieties shows the most promising and intriguing properties. Dye 1 is reversibly oxidized in three well‐separated steps and generates a very intense and large ECL signal. Its ECL efficiency is 4.5 times higher than that of the reference compound [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ (bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine). This remarkably high efficiency is due to the very good stability of the higher oxidized states and it makes 1 a very bright organic ECL luminophore. In addition, thanks to its molecular structure, this dye retains fluorescence after nanoprecipitation in water, which leads to fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs). The redox behavior of these FONs shows oxidation waves consistent with the initial molecular species. Finally, ECL from FONs made of 1 was recorded in water and strong ECL nanoemitters are thus obtained.     

Gold nanoparticle based optical and electrochemical sensing of dopamine

This review (with 110 refs.) gives an overview on the progress that has been made in the past few years on the use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for use in sensors and analytical tools for the determination of dopamine (DA). Both AuNPs and their composites with other organic and inorganic materials including noble metals are treated. Following an overview on the clinical significance of DA, we discuss the various analytical methods that are (a) electrochemiluminescence (ECL); (b) surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS); (c) colorimetric probing and visual detection; and (d) the large class of electrochemical sensors. Subsections cover sensors based on plain AuNPs, bimetallic NPs, AuNP-metal@metal oxide nanocomposites, AuNP nanocomposites with organic polymers, AuNP nanocomposites with carbon nanotubes or with graphene, and finally sensors based on ternary materials containing AuNPs. The review ends with a conclusion on current challenges of sensors for DA and an outlook on future trends.

We review the recent progress in sensing dopamine based on AuNPs and its nanocomposites including bimetallic nanoparticles, AuNPs-/metal oxide, AuNPs-polymer, AuNPs-carbon nanotubes, AuNPs-graphene and ternary materials using different types of sensing techniques such as electrochemiluminescence (ECL), colorimetric, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and electrochemical techniques.

     

Electrochemiluminescence of tri(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium in aqueous solution on a gold-nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode

The electrochemical behavior of electrochemical deposition of Au nanoparticles onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and its application for the electrocatalytic electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ in an aqueous solution without coreaction are investigated in this report. The modification of GCE by Au nanoparticles results in excellent catalysis of the ECL of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺. The effects of various factors, such as potential scan range, the presence of nitrogen and oxygen, and the scan rate on Ru(bpy)₃²⁺. ECL peaks, were systematically studied. This article has provided insight into the design of an Au-nanoparticle-modified electrode for ECL, analytical and catalytic applications. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2008, Vol. 44, No. 9, pp. 1127–1132. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

A Novel Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence Reaction Scheme Using Core-Shell LuminoI-Based SiO2 Nanoparticles as a Regulator and Its Analytical Application

A novel core-shell luminol-based SiO2 nanoparticle While these nanoparticles were used as electrogenerated was synthesized by two step micro-emulsion method. chemiluminescence （ECL） reagent, the electrochemical （EC） reaction as well as the subsequent chemiluminescence （CL） reaction not only could be separated spatially, but also presented high efficiency for analytical purpose. In this case, the core-shell luminol-based SiO2 nanoparticles offered more potential to avoid the contradiction between the EC and the CL reaction conditions. A new ECL method based on the nanoparticle was developed, and isoniazid was selected as a model analyte to illustrate the characteristics of this new ECL method. Under the selected conditions, the proposed ECL response to isoniazid concentration was linear in the range of 1.0 ×10^-10 to 1.0 × 10^-6 g/mL with 2 × 10^-11g/mL detection limit.     

A Novel Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence (ECL) Sensor Based on Ru(bpy)32+‐Doped Titania Nanoparticles Dispersed in Nafion on Glassy Carbon Electrode

A novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor based on Ru(bpy)₃²⁺‐doped titania (RuDT) nanoparticles dispersed in a perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was developed in this paper. The electroactive component‐Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ was entrapped within the titania nanoparticles by the inverse microemulsion polymerization process that produced spherical sensors in the size region of 38±3 nm. The RuDT nanoparticles were characterized by electrochemical, transmission electron and scanning microscopy technology. The Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ encapsulation interior of the titania nanoparticles maintains its ECL efficiency and also reduces Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ leaching from the titania matrix when immersed in water due to the electrostatic interaction. This is the first attempt to prepare the RuDT nanoparticles and extend the application of electroactive component‐doped nanoparticles into the field of ECL. Since a large amount of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ was immobilized three‐dimensionally on the electrode, the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ ECL signal could be enhanced greatly, which finally resulted in the increased sensitivity. The ECL analytical performance of this ECL sensor for tripropylamine (TPA) was investigated in detail. This sensor shows a detection limit of 1 nmol/L for TPA. Furthermore, the present ECL sensor displays outstanding long‐term stability.     

Anticancer SAR establishment and novel accruing signal transduction model of drug action using biscoumarin scaffold

In this paper, we have established methylenebis (4-hydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one) as a promising anticancer scaffold with kinesin spindle protein (KSP) inhibitory activity under malignant condition. A series of biscoumarin derivatives (MN1 to MN30) with different substituent were synthesized, and their anticancer activity was explored. Six biscoumarin derivatives that were found active were further selected to formulate organic nanoparticles (ONPs). Anticancer activity of both the forms (viz conventional and ONPs) was compared. MN30 was found most potent whereby MN10 showed good anticancer activity in both, i.e., conventional and ONP form; the structural activity relationship (SAR) study has been established. Computational investigation revealed biscoumarin scaffold as a suitable pharmacophore to bind against KSP protein. Molecular dynamics simulation studies revealed protein-ligand stability and dynamic behavior of biscoumarin-KSP complex. Finally, accruing signal transduction model was formulated to explain the observed MTT trend of conventional and ONP form. The model seems useful towards solving population specific varied results of chemotherapeutic agents. According to the model, MN10 and MN30 derivatives have good pharmacodynamics inertia and therefore, both the molecules were able to provide dose-dependent cytotoxic results.     

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence detection of single entities

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence, also known as electrochemiluminescence (ECL), is an electrochemically induced production of light by excited luminophores generated during redox reactions. It can be used to sense the charge transfer and related processes at electrodes via a simple visual readout; hence, ECL is an outstanding tool in analytical sensing. The traditional ECL approach measures averaged electrochemical quantities of a large ensemble of individual entities, including molecules, microstructures and ions. However, as a real system is usually heterogeneous, the study of single entities holds great potential in elucidating new truths of nature which are averaged out in ensemble assays or hidden in complex systems. We would like to review the development of ECL intensity and imaging based single entity detection and place emphasis on the assays of small entities including single molecules, micro/nanoparticles and cells. The current challenges for and perspectives on ECL detection of single entities are also discussed.

We summarize the history and recent development that has been made in the ECL detection of single entities.     

Dye-Doped Silica Nanoparticles for Enhanced ECL-Based Immunoassay Analytical Performance

The combination of highly sensitive techniques such as electrochemiluminescence (ECL) with nanotechnology sparked new analytical applications, in particular for immunoassay-based detection systems. In this context, nanomaterials, particularly dye-doped silica nanoparticles (DDSNPs) are of high interest, since they can offer several advantages in terms of sensitivity and performance. In this work we synthesized two sets of monodispersed and biotinylated [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺-doped silica nanoparticles, named bio-Triton@RuNP and bio-Igepal@RuNP, obtained following the reverse microemulsion method using two different types of nonionic surfactants. Controlling the synthetic procedures, we were able to obtain nanoparticles (NPs) offering highly intense signal, using tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) as coreactant, with bio-Triton@RuNps being more efficient than bio-Igepal@RuNP.     

Ligand and surfactant effects on a novel electrochemiluminescent reaction involving cadmium

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is the generation of light during a chemical reaction with at least one of the reagents being generated in situ at an electrode. Recently, a host of methods have been developed employing ECL reactions as an analytical technique where one of the ECL reagents is the analyte. Electrochemiluminescent reactions involving aqueous metal ions can offer an alternative method for quantitation of dissolved metals. Previous work developed an ECL system using 1,10-phenanthroline as an ECL reagent in conjunction with Cd²⁺ ions providing sufficient emission for reliable cadmium detection. This paper explores the effects of ligand modification, choice of surfactant, and the interaction between the surfactant and the co-reactant tripropylamine (TPA). The effectiveness of the reagents tested can be ranked as phenanthroline, bathophenanthroline salt, terpyridine, dimethylphenanthroline, and bipyridine in order of decreasing Cd²⁺ specific ECL emissions. The non-ionic surfactants Triton X-100, Thesit, and Nonidet P40 were surveyed.     

Electrochemistry, electrogenerated chemiluminescence, and excimer formation dynamics of intramolecular π-stacked 9-naphthylanthracene derivatives and organic nanoparticles

We report the electrochemical characterization and the observation of excimer emission from a series of 9-naphthylanthracene-based dimer- and trimer-bridged high steric hindrance aromatic groups during photoluminescence (PL) measurements in the solid state and in solution electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) measurements. Cyclic voltammetry of 4,4'-bis(9-(1-naphthyl)anthracen-10-yl)biphenyl (4A) and 1,3,5-tris(9-(1-naphthyl)anthracen-10-yl)benzene (4C) showed two or three reversible, closely spaced one-electron transfers on oxidation in dichloromethane. The ECL emission spectra of 4A and 4C resulting from the annihilation reaction in benzonitrile showed two bands: one at the same wavelength as the PL peak in the solution state, and a broad band at longer wavelength. With a coreactant, such as peroxydisulfate, ECL spectra showed a single peak that was less broad in shape. PL measurement in the solid state and measurement of representative time traces of PL intensity, lifetimes, and picosecond time-correlated single-photon counting confirmed excimer emission at long wavelength. A reprecipitation method was used to prepare well-dispersed organic nanoparticles (NPs) of 4A in both aqueous and acetonitrile solutions. The smallest stable size of NPs produced was ~15 ± 6 nm, as analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. These organic NPs produced stable and weak ECL emission from the annihilation reaction in both aqueous and MeCN solutions. With a coreactant, such as peroxydisulfate, the ECL signal on reduction was sufficiently strong to obtain an ECL spectrum.     

Analytical applications of electrochemiluminescence: an overview

The chemical transformations of electrogenerated ion-radicals of a number of complex organic compounds may be accompanied by emission of photons. An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quantum contains information both on the kinetics of the heterogeneous electrode processes and on the subsequent homogeneous chemical reactions in the solution. Application of ECL to solution analysis provides advantages in comparison to electrochemical methods. Using ECL for electrode surface analysis allows information to be obtained on the rate of an electrochemical process simultaneously at all points of the electrode under analysis in real time, and that is the main difference between this method and the point-by-point testing specific to electrochemical methods. The potential of ECL for analytical chemistry is examined concerning the homogeneous ECL-analysis of solutions and the heterogeneous ECL-analysis of electrode surfaces. Received: 6 April 2000 / Revised: 23 June 2000 / Accepted: 27 June 2000