This invention pertains to the general field of chemical and biological
assays which employ electrochemiluminscence (ECL), also referred to as
electrogenerated chemiluminescence. More particularly, the present
invention pertains to certain classes of chemical moieties which strongly
quench ECL, and the use of these ECL quenchers in combination with ECL
labels, for example, in ECL assay methods which employ an ECL quencher
and an ECL label. One class of such quenching moieties are those which
comprise at least one benzene moiety. Sub-classes of such quenching
moieties are those which comprise at least one phenol moiety, quinone
moiety, benzene carboxylic acid, and/or benzene carboxylate moiety.