Electrogenerated chemiluminescence of Ru(bpy) at a black phosphorus quantum dot modified electrode and its sensing application.

Black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) with an average size of 8.2 nm were synthesized through a liquid exfoliation method. The surface morphology and the thickness of the BPQDs were identified by high-resolution transmission microscopy (HRTEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy. The electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) behavior of Ru(bpy) was investigated at a BPQD modified glassy carbon electrode under neutral conditions. A strong anodic ECL signal was obtained at the modified electrode in the absence of a coreactant, which is nearly three orders of magnitude larger than that at the bare electrode. Electrochemical results revealed that the oxidation process of Ru(bpy) can be significantly catalyzed by BPQDs, suggesting that BPQDs can act as the coreactant of Ru(bpy) to generate strong light emission. Dopamine could react with the oxidation product of Ru(bpy) and exhibited an apparent inhibiting effect on ECL emission. As a result, it can be sensitively detected in the range of 0.1 nM to 50 nM with a detection limit of 0.022 nM. The present work revealed that BPQDs are a potential ECL platform, and which are promising in the fabrication of a novel ECL biosensor.