Nanocomplexes with anchored [formula omitted]-tetraethylene pentamine electrochemiluminescence system: Self-enhanced coupled photothermal strategy detection of thyroglobulin.

[Display omitted] • A multiple sensitization ECL system was constructed using a synergistic photothermal amplification strategy. • Tetraethylene pentamine was first reported as a coreactant reagent for Ru bpy 3 2 + . • Nanomaterial-anchored Ru bpy 3 2 + and TEPA as the self-enhanced signal probe. A synergistic amplified electrochemiluminescent (ECL) immunoassay was constructed by utilizing an efficiently self-enhanced signal tag and sensing substrate with satisfactory photothermal property for thyroglobulin ultrasensitive detection. Concretely, tetraethylene pentamine (TEPA) was first attempted for the coreactant of Ru bpy 3 2 + , and mesoporous silica nanostars with large surface area and porous structure was designed as a support material to integrate Ru bpy 3 2 + and TEPA, forming a self-enhanced signal tag to improve ECL efficiency. Additionally, magnetic beads with excellent photothermal effect was used as ideal sensing substrate to obtain the further amplified ECL signal because of the accelerated electron diffusion and reaction process induced by increased electrode temperature under the near-infrared laser irradiation. With the self-enhanced and photothermal synergistic amplified strategy, the proposed ECL sensor showed a wide linear range from 10−5 to 10 ng/mL with a low detection limit of 3.3 × 10−6 ng/mL. This work will provide a promising avenue to simplify the synthesis of self-enhanced ECL emitter complexes, and pave the avenue for achieving synergistic enhancement of ECL signals by incorporating probe substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]