Nanoluminophores Composed of 1,1′-Ferrocenedicarboxylic Acid and Tetrakis-(4-carboxyphenyl) Porphyrin for Electrochemiluminescence Sensing

Development of nanoluminophores with high efficiency, good stability, and excellent electronic transfer ability is one of the key challenges in electrochemiluminescence (ECL). Here, a porphyrin-based nanomaterial named Fc-TCPP was synthesized by self-assembly of 1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxylic acid (Fc(COOH)2) and tetrakis-(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) under infrared heating light. By tuning the ratio of the precursors, the morphology of Fc-TCPP can be regulated from primitive nanospheres to thorn-ball flowers decorated with branches and particles, and the possible formation mechanism was proposed. Nano-boron carbide (B4C) with carbon defect sites further boosts the ECL performance of Fc-TCPP, and thereby, an ECL biosensor for AFP was constructed innovatively. This study provides a simple and effective strategy for the preparation of ECL nanoluminophores taking the advantages of ferrocene and TCPP, opening a new horizon to design porphyrin-based nanomaterials with various structures and expanding their application in biosensing and disease diagnosis.