A molecule-imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor based on self-accelerated Ru(bpy)32+@ZIF-7 for ultra-sensitive detection of procymidone

•A molecular-imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor for procymidone detection was reported based on Ru(bpy)32+@ZIF-7.•The novel self-accelerated Ru(bpy)32+@ZIF-7 exhibited high electrochemiluminescence emission as a coreactant.•ZIF-7 was the carrier of Ru(bpy)32+ and the co-reaction promoter of Ru(bpy)32+/tri-n-propylamine system.•The molecule-imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor had great potential in the field of food safety detection. A molecular-imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor for procymidone (PCM) detection was reported based on Ru(bpy)32+@ZIF-7. A novel self-accelerated Ru(bpy)32+@ZIF-7 was prepared by one-step synthesis method, which exhibited high electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emission as a coreactant in the presence of tri-n-propylamine (TPrA). Concretely, ZIF-7 was not only the carrier of Ru(bpy)32+, but also the co-reaction promoter of Ru(bpy)32+/TPrA ECL system. The introduction of molecular imprint polymer (MIP) with PCM gave new characteristics of specific recognition of analyte PCM. The change value of ECL intensity (ΔI) was proportional to the logarithm of PCM concentration, with a wide linear range and a low detection limit of 1.0 × 10−10 to 1.0 × 10−6 mol L−1 and 2.0 × 10−11 mol L−1, respectively. The presented MIP-ECL sensor had high sensitivity, selectivity and stability, and had great potential in the field of food safety detection.