Long-lasting chemiluminescence hydrogels made in situ

In this study, we prepared an injectable long-lasting chemiluminescence hydrogels with chemiluminescent reagent isoluminol and catalyst Co2+ in situ. [Display omitted] •The injectable long-lasting chemiluminescence hydrogels were prepared in situ.•The hydrogels possessed porous, gel-like structure and excellent homogeneity.•The light emission could last for over 10 h.•The hydrogels could be used for quantitative detection of H2O2. Alginate, a natural polysaccharide, can form gels with divalent cations under mild conditions. In this paper, homogeneous, injectable chemiluminescence hydrogels were prepared in situ for the first time. The raw materials contained alginate, calcium ion source (CaCO3), d-glucono-δ-lactone (GDL), chemiluminescence reagent (isoluminol), and catalyst (Co2+). When H2O2 was added, the hydrogels would give blue light which was visible to naked eyes. And, the light emission could last for over 10 h due to the slow-diffusion-controlled chemical reaction. In addition, the as-prepared CL hydrogels had a good response capacity to H2O2.