Enhancing the electrochemiluminescence of tris(2,2 '-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) by ionic surfactants

The dependence of the electrochemiluminescence of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) (bpy = 2,2 '- bipyridine) with tri-n-propylamine as co-reactant on the anionic surfactant SDS ( sodium dodecyl sulfate) and the cationic surfactants CTAX (CTA = cetyltrimethylammonium cation, X = bromide, chloride and hydrogensulfate) was studied. Both SDS and CTAX, at low surfactant concentrations below the critical micelle concentrations, enhance the electrochemiluminescence at a platinum working electrode. A further enhancement of the light emission intensity by bromide ions was observed when CTAB (B = bromide) was used - an overall 30-fold increase in electrochemiluminescence efficiency was obtained at a CTAB concentration of 0.08 mM. Voltammetric data support adsorption of surfactant molecules on the electrode surface as the cause of the enhancement of electrochemiluminescence by ionic surfactants.