Efficient electrogenerated chemiluminescence from CdTe quantum dots with coreactants

► ECL generation via the annihilation between the radical cation of CdTe QDs and their radical anion is not efficient. ► The poor ECL efficiency is relevant to the instability of the radical cation. ► With a coreactant S2O82-, the ECL generation becomes more efficient 3-4 folds. ► A novel ECL system based on CdTe and (pq)2Ir(dbm) is very efficient for ECL generation. ► This great improvement is attributed to the collaborative enhancement of ECL from both CdTe and (pq)2Ir(dbm).