Lanthanide-based luminescent molecular thermometers

Abstract

Non-invasive accurate thermometers with high spatial resolution and operating at sub-micron scales, where the conventional methods are ineffective, are currently a very active field of research strongly stimulated in the last couple of years by the challenging demands of nanotechnology and biomedicine. This perspective offers a general overview of recent examples of accurate luminescent thermometers working at micrometric and nanometric scales, particularly those involving advanced Ln3+-based functional organic-inorganic hybrid materials. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.