Improved AIE‐Active Probe with High Sensitivity for Accurate Uranyl Ion Monitoring in the Wild Using Portable Electrochemiluminescence System for Environmental Applications

Abstract The development of highly sensitive and selective uranyl ion (UO 2 2+ ) probes has attracted significant attention owing to the threat to human health caused by high toxicity, radioactivity, and long half‐life. Herein, the development of aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) active polymer dots (Pdots) is described for an accurate UO 2 2+ monitoring using a portable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) system. An AIE‐active polymer containing tetraphenylethene and boron ketoiminate moieties is prepared into Pdots and modified with ssDNA to capture UO 2 2+ , which can amplify the ECL signal of the Pdots through a resonance energy transfer mechanism. This probe provides an ultralow detection limit of 10.6 p m /2.5 ppt, which is at least two orders of magnitude lower than the known UO 2 2+ luminescent probes. Only UO 2 2+ can provide an obvious ECL enhancement among the various metal ions, indicating the excellent selectivity of this probe. Furthermore, a portable ECL analyzer is designed to realize UO 2 2+ measurements in the wild. The anodic ECL mechanism of UO 2 2+ is discovered and ECL technology is first applied in monitoring radioactive substances. This study provides a novel strategy for the development of accurate UO 2 2+ probes and a practical UO 2 2+ monitoring method, indicating its potential application in the environmental and energy fields.