Electrochemiluminescent reaction utilizing amine-derived reductant

A kit for performing an ECL assay wherein electromagnetic radiation emitted by a composition is detected, which kit consists essentially of (i) a metal chelate which, when oxidized by exposure to an effective amount of electrochemical energy, is capable of being converted to an excited state from which electromagnetic radiation is emitted upon exposure of the excited metal chelate sufficient to induce said emission, (ii) an amine or amine moiety which, when oxidized by exposure to an effective amount of electrochemical energy, forms a strong reducing agent having a redox potential, E.sub.a, defined as follows

• E.sub.a <-hc/.lambda.+K+E.sub.m
• wherein h is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light, .lambda. is the wave length characteristic of radiation emitted from the excited state of the metal chelate, K is the product of the absolute temperature in degrees Kelvin and the change in entropy, and E.sub.m is the redox potential of the metal chelate, and (iii) an electrolyte capable of functioning as a medium in which said chelate and said amine or amine moiety can be oxidized by exposure to electrochemical energy.

A kit for detecting or quantitating an analyte of interest by ECL assay wherein electromagnetic radiation emitted by a composition is detected,

• which kit consists essentially of (i) a metal chelate which, when oxidized by exposure to an effective amount of electrochemical energy, is capable of being converted to an excited state from which electrochemical radiation is emitted upon exposure of the excited metal chelate to conditions sufficient to induce said emission, (ii) an amine or an amine moiety which, when oxidized by exposure to an effective amount of electrochemical energy, forms a strong reducing agent, and (iii) an electrolyte capable of functioning as a medium in which said chelate and said amine or amine moiety can be oxidized by exposure to electrochemical energy and (iv) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of (a) additional analyte of interest or an analog of the analyte of interest, (b) a binding partner of the analyte of interest or its said analog, and a reactive component capable of binding with substance (a) or (b).