Synergistic Enhancement Effects of Carbon Quantum Dots and Au Nanoclusters for Cathodic ECL and Non-enzyme Detections of Glucose

In this study, we found that glucose enhance electrochemiluminescence (ECL) intensity of both Au nanoclusters (Au NCs) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with K2S2O8 as the co-reactants. The enhancing effects by Au NCs and CQDs were overlapped, enabling the detection of glucose. The increased ECL intensity of glucose was linear with the logarithm of concentrations of glucose in the range of 50 mu M-3.0 mM, and the limit of detection is 20 mu M. Anti-interruption ability was achieved, and ascorbic acid, urea, and uric acid had little influence to glucose detection. This method realized the direct detection of glucose by enhancing ECL of Au NCs and CQDs, which was fast and economic, possessing potential applications for glucose detection in human serum.