Recent Progress in Plasmonic based Electrochemiluminescence Biosensors: A Review

Abstract

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.

Keywords: biosensors; electrochemiluminescence; microscopy; nanomaterials; plasmonic.

Figure 1

A roadmap for the progress of ECL biosensors and its future directions.

Figure 2

A schematic diagram illustrating the content of this review.

Figure 3

Schematic description of SPR sensor. Reprinted with permission from Sensors, Copyright 2014, MDPI [54].

Figure 4

Assembly schematic diagram of the flow injection fiber optic ESPR device. Reprinted with permission from Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Copyright 2020, Elsevier [56].

Figure 5

(a) Schematic illustration of ECL microscopy for imaging an Au NP array with a 5 μm interval. Reprinted with permission from Angewandte Chemie, Copyright 2022, Wiley-VCH [59]. (b) Schematic representation of the electrochemiluminescence imaging. The luminophore, Ru(bpy)₃²⁺, and co-reactant, TPrA, are oxidized at the heterogeneous interface between the microbowls and the ITO supporting electrode with the aid of an enhanced electric field, generating the excited state Ru(bpy)₃^2+*. The accelerated ECL emission is produced during the relaxation of Ru(bpy)₃^2+* back to the ground state. Reprinted with permission from RESEARCH, Copyright 2021, AAAS [47]. (c) Schematic illustration of the ECLM system for single-particle imaging and basic principle of SRRF analysis of multiple images. Reprinted with permission from Journal of the American Chemical Society, Copyright 2021, American Chemical Society [48].

Figure 6

(a) Schematic diagram of the SPR-enhanced ECL sensing platform for lincomycin determination. ECL response to different lincomycin concentrations and linear regression curve of the aptasensor for determination of log(lincomycin concentration). Reprinted with permission from ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society [64]; (b) Schematic diagram of the dual enhancement ECL system, ECL curves of Au@SiO₂-NH₂/CdS/GCE, and a plot of decreased ECL intensity towards GSH of different concentrations. Reprinted with permission from ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society [66].

Figure 7

(a) Polarized SPC-ECL mechanism of F-BN QDs and schematic illustration of the polarized ECL sensor. Reprinted with permission from Analytical Chemistry, Copyright 2020, American Chemical Society [70]; (b) Stepwise asymmetric modification for Au NDs and schematic illustration of the LSPR-enhanced ECL sensor based on the DNA tetrahedral nanoswitch. Reprinted with permission from Analytical Chemistry, Copyright 2018, American Chemical Society [73]; (c) Schematic illustration of the HCR-based sensing process, the relationship between SPC enhanced efficiency, and the distance between MoS₂ nanosheets and S-BN QDs. Reprinted with permission from Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Copyright 2020, Elsevier [74]; (d) Schematic illustration of the ECL DNA sensor. Reprinted with permission from Analytical Chemistry, Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society [78].

Figure 7

(a) Polarized SPC-ECL mechanism of F-BN QDs and schematic illustration of the polarized ECL sensor. Reprinted with permission from Analytical Chemistry, Copyright 2020, American Chemical Society [70]; (b) Stepwise asymmetric modification for Au NDs and schematic illustration of the LSPR-enhanced ECL sensor based on the DNA tetrahedral nanoswitch. Reprinted with permission from Analytical Chemistry, Copyright 2018, American Chemical Society [73]; (c) Schematic illustration of the HCR-based sensing process, the relationship between SPC enhanced efficiency, and the distance between MoS₂ nanosheets and S-BN QDs. Reprinted with permission from Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Copyright 2020, Elsevier [74]; (d) Schematic illustration of the ECL DNA sensor. Reprinted with permission from Analytical Chemistry, Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society [78].

Figure 8

Proposed signal enhancement mechanism of the Lum-AgNPs@Fe,Co D-SAC-based luminol-DO ECL system. Reprinted with permission from Analytical Chemistry, Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society [88].

Figure 9

The schematic diagram of ECL sensing for pancreatic exosome detection. Reprinted with permission from Analytical Chemistry, Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society [92].