Sonochemical synthesis and electrogenerated chemiluminescence properties of 8-hydroxyquinoline manganese (Mnq2) nanobelts

•Mnq2 nanobelts have been synthesized by a facile sonochemical route.•The experimental conditions play an important part in the morphology of the final products.•The as-prepared Mnq2 sample exhibited excellent ECL behavior.

8-Hydroxyquinoline manganese (Mnq2) nanobelts with width of 500 nm and length of 2–4 μm have been synthesized by a facile sonochemical route. The composition, morphology and size of the as-prepared sample were confirmed by elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The reaction parameters, such as the mole ratio of reactants and the concentration of ethylene glycol, play an important part in the morphology of the final product. The electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) properties of the Mnq2 sample with different morphologies have also been investigated. The ECL spectra show that the Mnq2 nanobelts exhibited excellent electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) behavior.