Recent development of organic nanoemitter-based ECL sensing application

Abstract In the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensing research field, nano-scale organic emitters (NOEs) have shown many advantages, such as high luminescence efficiency, adjustable and controllable emission, multicolor ECL and aggregation-induced ECL. However, there were a few reviews focused on the NOEs-based ECL sensor. This paper summarized the development of NOEs as ECL emitters based on the perspective of the basic functional organic molecules. According to the different conjugated systems, NOEs were mainly divided into the fused ring aromatics-based nanomaterials, heterocyclic unit-based nanoemitters, tetraphenylethylene-based nano-structures, polymer dots and so on. In the rational designed NOEs, the molecular structure and luminescence mechanisms have been discussed. We also introduced the current ECL sensing strategies and applications of NOEs. Finally, the current limitations and potential value of NOEs have been reviewed for the further development of ECL sensor.