Issue 23, 2024

Lanthanide-based nanomaterials for temperature sensing in the near-infrared spectral region: illuminating progress and challenges

Abstract

Being first proposed as a method to overcome limitations associated with conventional contact thermometers, luminescence thermometry has been extensively studied over the past two decades as a sensitive and fast approach to remote and minimally invasive thermal sensing. Herein, lanthanide (Ln)-doped nanoparticles (Ln-NPs) have been identified as particularly promising candidates, given their outstanding optical properties. Known primarily for their upconversion emission, Ln-NPs have also been recognized for their ability to be excited with and emit in the near-infrared (NIR) regions matching the NIR transparency windows. This sparked the emergence of the development of NIR-NIR Ln-NPs for a wide range of temperature-sensing applications. The shift to longer excitation and emission wavelengths resulted in increased efforts being put into developing nanothermometers for biomedical applications, however most research is still preclinical. This mini-review outlines and addresses the challenges that limit the reliability and implementation of luminescent nanothermometers to real-life applications. Through a critical look into the recent developments from the past 4 years, we highlight attempts to overcome some of the limitations associated with excitation wavelength, thermal sensitivity, calibration, as well as light-matter interactions. Strategies range from use of longer excitation wavelengths, brighter emitters through strategic core/multi-shell architectures, exploitation of host phonons, and a shift from double- to single-band ratiometric as well as lifetime-based approaches to innovative methods based on computation and machine learning. To conclude, we offer a perspective on remaining gaps and where efforts should be focused towards more robust nanothermometers allowing a shift to real-life, e.g., in vivo, applications.

Graphical abstract: Lanthanide-based nanomaterials for temperature sensing in the near-infrared spectral region: illuminating progress and challenges

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
20 jan 2024
Accepted
04 apr 2024
First published
05 apr 2024

Nanoscale, 2024,16, 10975-10993

Lanthanide-based nanomaterials for temperature sensing in the near-infrared spectral region: illuminating progress and challenges

A. Puccini, N. Liu and E. Hemmer, Nanoscale, 2024, 16, 10975 DOI: 10.1039/D4NR00307A

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