Analytical applications of electrochemiluminescence: an overview

The chemical transformations of electrogenerated ion-radicals of a number of complex organic compounds may be accompanied by emission of photons. An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quantum contains information both on the kinetics of the heterogeneous electrode processes and on the subsequent homogeneous chemical reactions in the solution. Application of ECL to solution analysis provides advantages in comparison to electrochemical methods. Using ECL for electrode surface analysis allows information to be obtained on the rate of an electrochemical process simultaneously at all points of the electrode under analysis in real time, and that is the main difference between this method and the point-by-point testing specific to electrochemical methods. The potential of ECL for analytical chemistry is examined concerning the homogeneous ECL-analysis of solutions and the heterogeneous ECL-analysis of electrode surfaces.