Research Projects

ECL technique is a powerful and promising analytical technique for sensitive and selective determination of analytes in clinical samples due to its high sensitivity, low background noise, good temporal and spatial control, and simplified optical setup. ECL emission is increasingly important in the development of portable, high-sensitivity devices, such as biomedical point-of-care devices and field instruments for environmental research. However, conventional ECL measurement mainly involves an electrochemical workstation, photomultiplier tube, high voltage amplifier, and other components, which limit portable ECL sensors and point-of-care applications. Recently, a single-electrode electrochemical system (SEES) has been developed, using only one conducting substrate/electrode as a multiplex ECL sensing device. Each hole of the independent electrochemical cells drives the faradic reaction and produces ECL signals based on the potential difference at the two ends of the micro-electrode. This SEES-based ECL eliminates the need for three electrodes and complex fabrication of a microarray of electrodes, offering a new low-cost, portable, and simple protocol for miniaturized visual high-throughput ECL-based assays. The challenge lies in designing a matrix of holes/micro electrochemical cells that enhances high ECL emission with less external applied potential for driving faradic reactions and synthesizing functionalized luminophores with high quantum yield for high sensitivity and selectivity of specific bioassays. The proposal aims to develop the SEES-based miniaturized ECL platform by designing novel color luminophores for selective salivary-based multiplex bioassays.

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