Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence

Abstract

Melts of scintillator compounds which are solid at room temperature, such as 2,5‐diphenyloxazole (PPO) and 2,5‐diphenyloxadiazole (PPD) containing several quaternary ammonium salts as supporting electrolytes, were examined as solvents for electrochemical and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) studies. Although the resistance of these solutions was high, cyclic voltammetry of 9,10‐diphenylanthracene and rubrene in PPO showed the production of stable radical anions and cations for both compounds, and the ECL emission was essentially the same as the fluorescence emission of these compounds in PPO. ECL of rubrene was also observed in molten phenanthrene, PPD, thianthrene, and p‐terphenyl, as well as in mixtures of PPO with 1‐ or 2‐methylnaphthalene.