Amplified electrochemiluminescence of Ru(dcbpy)32+ via coreactant active sites on nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots

Lingyue Guo; Libo Li; Lijun Luo; Tianyan You

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2025.127554

Amplified electrochemiluminescence of Ru(dcbpy)₃²⁺ via coreactant active sites on nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots

Talanta. 2025 Jan 12:286:127554. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2025.127554. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Lingyue Guo¹, Libo Li¹, Lijun Luo², Tianyan You³

Affiliations

¹ School of Agricultural Engineering, Key Laboratory of Modern Agricultural Equipment and Technology, Ministry of Education, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212013, China.
² School of Agricultural Engineering, Key Laboratory of Modern Agricultural Equipment and Technology, Ministry of Education, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212013, China; College of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, 471003, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ School of Agricultural Engineering, Key Laboratory of Modern Agricultural Equipment and Technology, Ministry of Education, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212013, China; College of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, 471003, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39805207
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2025.127554

Abstract

Searching for new alternative to tripropylamine (TPrA) with low toxicity and high chemical stability for the tris(4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium (II) (Ru(dcbpy)₃²⁺) based coreactant electrochemiluminescence (ECL) system is essential for widespread analytical applications. Here, nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) have been discovered to significantly amplify the ECL emission and increase the ECL efficiency of Ru(dcbpy)₃²⁺ for the first time. However, the mechanism by which NGQDs act as coreactants is not well comprehended. Therefore, various optical and electrochemical technologies were employed to investigate the ECL mechanism. It is proposed that the amino and carboxyl groups on the surface of NGQDs play crucial roles as the coreactant active sites, catalyzing the oxidation of Ru(dcbpy)₃²⁺. Based on this foundation, an "on-off-on" ECL aptasensor for the quantification of acetamiprid was developed, exhibiting a broad linear range and a detection limit of 0.056 pM. Satisfactory recoveries, ranging from 98.0 % to 101.6 %, were achieved in pakchoi samples. Consequently, NGQDs could serve as coreactants for Ru(dcbpy)₃²⁺, offering new opportunities for constructing a variety of sensors with extensive analytical applications in the ECL field.

Keywords: Acetamiprid; Amplified electrochemiluminescence; Coreactant active sites; Nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots; Ru(dcbpy)(3)(2+).