Coreactant Catalysts for Enhancing Electrochemiluminescence Bioassays

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is an advanced analytical and sensing technique that offers excellent spatiotemporal controllability, high sensitivity, and wide dynamic detection range. With the rapid development of ECL immunoassays, novel electrochemical materials, and optical detection devices, enhanced ECL systems based on the coreactant pathway have garnered a continued attention. Since the generation of active intermediates from coreactants serves as a pivotal step in the generation of ECL signals, the introduction of coreactant catalysts, materials capable of catalyzing the oxidation or reduction of coreactants to produce active intermediates, has significantly improved the ECL systems and expanded their applications. This review is concerned with some of the most recent and important advances in coreactant catalysts, aiming to comprehend how to rationally design high–performance ECL analytical systems. It starts by presenting a brief introduction on ECL mechanistic pictures and application scenarios. Then the focus is directed toward the catalytic enhancement mechanisms of various coreactant catalysts. Finally, a short perspective and outlook for the future of work is proposed.