Recent Progress in Plasmonic based Electrochemiluminescence Biosensors: A Review

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) analysis has become a powerful tool in recent biomarker detection and clinic diagnosis due to its high sensitivity and broad linear range. To improve the analytical performance of ECL biosensors, various advanced nanomaterials have been introduced to regulate the ECL signal such as graphene, gold nanomaterials, and quantum dots. Among these nanomaterials, some plasmonic nanostructures play important roles in the fabrication of ECL biosensors. The plasmon effect for the ECL signal includes ECL quenching by resonant energy transfer, ECL enhancement by surface plasmon resonance enhancement, and a change in the polarized angle of ECL emission. The influence can be regulated by the distance between ECL emitters and plasmonic materials, and the characteristics of polarization angle-dependent surface plasmon coupling. This paper outlines the recent advances of plasmonic based ECL biosensors involving various plasmonic materials including noble metals and semiconductor nanomaterials. The detection targets in these biosensors range from small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, and cells thanks to the plasmonic effect. In addition to ECL biosensors, ECL microscopy analysis with plasmonic materials is also highlighted because of the enhanced ECL image quality by the plasmonic effect. Finally, the future opportunities and challenges are discussed if more plasmonic effects are introduced into the ECL realm.

Automated summary

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) analysis has gained importance in biomarker detection and clinic diagnosis due to its high sensitivity and broad linear range. The use of advanced nanomaterials such as graphene, gold nanomaterials, and quantum dots has improved the performance of ECL biosensors by regulating the ECL signal. Plasmonic nanostructures, including noble metals and semiconductor nanomaterials, play a crucial role in the fabrication of these biosensors by influencing the ECL signal through quenching, enhancement, and polarization angle change. Plasmonic-based ECL biosensors have the potential to detect a wide range of targets, and the application of plasmonic materials in ECL microscopy analysis also enhances the image quality. Future opportunities and challenges lie in further exploring the plasmonic effects in the ECL field.