Electrogenerated chemiluminescence for potentiometric sensors

We report here on a generic approach to read out potentiometric sensors with electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL). In a first example, a potassium ion-selective electrode acts as the reference electrode and is placed in contact with the sample solution. The working electrode of the three-electrode cell is responsible for ECL generation and placed in a detection solution containing tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) [Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)] and the coreactant 2-(dibutylamino)ethanol (DBAE), physically separated from the sample by a bridge. Changes in the sample potassium concentration directly modulate the potential at the working electrode, and hence the ECL output, when a constant-potential pulse is applied between the two electrodes. A linear response of the ECL intensity to the logarithmic potassium concentration between 10 μm and 10 mM was found.