Volume 62, Issue 21 e202300893
Research Article

Self-assembly Induced Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence of Copper Nanoclusters Using DNA Nanoribbon Templates

Dr. Xiangyuan Ouyang

Corresponding Author

Dr. Xiangyuan Ouyang

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710127 China

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Yongli Wu

Yongli Wu

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710127 China

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Linjie Guo

Linjie Guo

The Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210 China

Institute of Materials Biology, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444 China

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Le Li

Le Li

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710127 China

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Mo Zhou

Mo Zhou

The Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210 China

Zhangjiang Laboratory, Shanghai, 201210 China

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Xinyi Li

Xinyi Li

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710127 China

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Ting Liu

Ting Liu

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710127 China

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Yawen Ding

Yawen Ding

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710127 China

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Prof. Huaiyu Bu

Prof. Huaiyu Bu

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710127 China

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Prof. Gang Xie

Prof. Gang Xie

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710127 China

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Jianlei Shen

Jianlei Shen

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240 China

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Prof. Chunhai Fan

Prof. Chunhai Fan

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240 China

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Prof. Lihua Wang

Corresponding Author

Prof. Lihua Wang

The Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210 China

Institute of Materials Biology, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444 China

Zhangjiang Laboratory, Shanghai, 201210 China

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First published: 23 March 2023
Citations: 19

Graphical Abstract

The concept of self-assembly induced enhanced electrochemiluminescence (SIEECL) using programmable DNA nanoribbon was proposed for the first time. This novel concept is confirmed in various ECL emitters, such as copper nanoclusters, gold nanoclusters and Ru(bpy)32+/TPrA system. Accelerated electron transfer reaction and reduced energy gap contribute to the enhancement of ECL.

Abstract

Copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) are attractive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitters as Cu is comparatively inexpensive, nontoxic, and highly abundant. However, their ECL yield is relatively low. Herein, we report that orderly self-assembly of CuNCs using DNA nanoribbon as the template (DNR/CuNCs) conferred the CuNCs with improved ECL properties compared with individual CuNCs in both annihilation and co-reactant processes. The DNR/CuNCs resulted in a high ECL yield of 46.8 % in K2S2O8, which was ≈68 times higher than that of individual CuNCs. This strategy was successfully extended to other ECL emitters, such as gold nanoclusters and the Ru(bpy)32+/TPrA system. Furthermore, as an application of DNR/CuNCs, a DNR/CuNC-based ECL biosensor with higher sensitivity was constructed for dopamine determination (two orders of magnitude lower than that previously reported), showing that DNR/CuNCs have a potential for application in ECL bioanalysis as a new type of superior luminophore candidate.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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