Quantum dots for electrochemiluminescence bioanalysis - A review

Highlights: • ECL bioanalysis has become increasingly important in different fields especially for clinical diagnosis. • The unique properties of QDs endow them versatile roles, high sensitivity and new mechanisms in ECL biosensing. • Diversified roles and an outlook for future developments of QDs in ECL biosensing is highlighted. Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) bioanalysis has become increasingly important in various fields from bioanalysis to clinical diagnosis due to its outstanding merits, including low background signal, high sensitivity, and simple instrumentation. Quantum dots (QDs) are a significant theme in ECL bioanalysis since their excellent optical, electrochemical properties, and ease of functionalization endow them with versatile roles and new mechanisms of signal transduction in ECL. Herein, this review details recent advances of QDs-based ECL bioanalysis by using QDs as ECL emitters, coreactants, or ECL resonance energy transfer donors/acceptors, mainly focused on their optical and electrochemical properties and ECL reaction mechanism. In the end, we will discuss the current limitations and future developments in QDs ECL bioanalysis to address the requirement about selectivity, sensitivity, toxicity, and emerging applications.