SnO@SnO2 Heterojunction as a Novel and Powerful Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) Co-reactant and Strong Self-enhanced ECL Based on SnO@SnO2-mercaptosuccinic Acid Self-assembled Nanoparticles@Ru(bpy)32+ System

doi:10.1007/s40242-026-6055-7

Abstract

Abstract: This work revealed for the first time that SnO@SnO₂ heterojunction (SnO_x, 1<x<2) could act as a novel and powerful electrochemiluminescence (ECL) co-reactant. Heterojunction-containing SnO@SnO₂ nanostructures (ca. 20 nm) capped with mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) were uniformly produced by MSA-etching tin nanoparticles, and could be spontaneously self-assembled into large-sized (ca. 200 nm), well-dispersed, uniform, and spherical nanoparticles (SnO@SnO₂-MSA SANs). The synthesized SnO@SnO₂-MSA SANs could act as a highly efficient co-reactant for the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ ECL system, outperforming the conventional co-reactant tri-n-propylamine (TPrA). It was revealed that the high co-reactant activity of SnO@SnO₂ did not originate from SnO or SnO₂ alone, but from the heterojunction of SnO@SnO₂ (i.e., SnO_x, 1<x<2). The SnO_x heterojunction acted as a strong co-reactant, initiating highly energetic electron-transfer with the electrogenerated Ru(bpy)₃³⁺ and emitting strong ECL. Utilizing the abundant negative surface charges of SnO@SnO₂-MSA SANs, Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ complexes were successfully loaded via electrostatic adsorption to construct self-enhanced ECL nanocomposites, i.e., SnO@SnO₂-MSA SANs@Ru(bpy)₃²⁺. The composites exhibited highly efficient anodic ECL emission peaking at 618 nm without requiring any exogenous species. The nanoscale integration of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ luminophores and SnO@SnO₂-MSA SAN co-reactants shortens the electron-transfer pathway and thus improves the interfacial ECL reaction efficiency.

Key words: Tin oxide heterojunction, Electrochemiluminescence, Nano-co-reactant, Self-enhanced, Self-assembled nanoparticle

ZHANG Weiwei, YAO Qichen, HUANG Yun, ZHENG Jingcheng, SHAO Jiwei, CHEN Yu, CHEN Yuhong, CHI Yuwu. SnO@SnO₂ Heterojunction as a Novel and Powerful Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) Co-reactant and Strong Self-enhanced ECL Based on SnO@SnO₂-mercaptosuccinic Acid Self-assembled Nanoparticles@Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ System[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(3): 998-1007.

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SnO@SnO₂ Heterojunction as a Novel and Powerful Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) Co-reactant and Strong Self-enhanced ECL Based on SnO@SnO₂-mercaptosuccinic Acid Self-assembled Nanoparticles@Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ System

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