Coreactant-specific electrochemiluminescence of an anthracene-based zinc framework for detection of HPV-16 DNA.

The efficient activation of a coreactant is challenging in electrochemiluminescence (ECL) enhancement. Herein, a metal-organic framework nanoemitter was designed with an anthracene derivative as a luminophore ligand and a Zn2+ node. It demonstrated a 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO)-specific ECL pathway via coordination interaction between the coreactant and the Zn2+ node, which significantly enhanced emission over conventional coreactants, establishing a sensitive strategy for DNA detection.