Electrochemiluminescence of lucigenin/tributylamine system in ethanol solution

The electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) behavior of lucigenin in the presence of tributylamine (TBA) or other amines in ethanol solution at a polycrystalline gold electrode was studied under conventional cyclic voltammetric conditions. An anodic ECL peak (ECL-1 at 0.91 V vs. SCE) with two shoulders (S1 at 0.52 V and S2 at 1.19 V) and their counter-peaks (ECL-2 at 0.66 V, S3 at 0.33 V, and S4 at 1.07 V) during reversal potential scan were found in the lucigenin/TBA system. The effects of various factors such as media, material of electrode, concentration of lucigenin and TBA, atmosphere, electrolytes, and potential scan rate on ECL peaks were examined. The emitter of all ECL peaks was identified as N-methylacridone (NMA) by analyzing the ECL spectra. The mechanism for these ECL peaks is proposed to be due to the reactions of lucigenin with the free radical reductant such as Bu3N and Bu2NH electrogenerated by TBA at different potentials.