Femtoliter oil droplets act as CO₂ micropumps for uninterrupted electrochemiluminescence at the water|oil interface.

ABSTRACT: Interfacial effects are well-known to significantly alter chemical reactivity, especially in confined environments, where the surface to volume ratio increases. Here, we observed an inhomogeneity in the electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) intensity decrease over time in a multiphasic system composed of femtoliter water droplets entrapping femtoliter volumes of the 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) continuous phase. In usual electrochemiluminescence (ECL) reactions involving an ECL chromophore and oxalate ([C₂O₄]^2-), the build-up of CO₂ diminishes the ECL signal with time because of bubble formation. We hypothesised that relative solubilities of chemical species in these environments play a dramatic role in interfacial reactivity. Water droplets, load

SUBMITTER: Voci S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11307245 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature