State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Anal Chem. 2020 Dec 1;92(23):15632-15638. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03912. Epub 2020 Nov 10.
Precise sensing of intracellular temperature can provide plenty of information on disease-related cell states and promote the development of a diagnostic method. Fluorescence-based nanothermometers, as the "noncontact" sensors, exhibit great advantages over traditional thermometers due to the dual function of imaging and sensing at the molecular level. Herein, we report a red-emitting carbon nanodots (RCDs)-based nanothermometer for intracellular temperature sensing. Results indicate that RCDs exhibit favorable temperature-responsive fluorescence property with a good linear relationship, reversibility, and reproducibility under heating and cooling treatments in a wide range from 4 to 80 °C. Meanwhile, the RCDs possess satisfactory thermal sensitivity and temperature resolution, which are superior or comparable to the current nanothermometers. The low cytotoxicity and excellent temperature-responsive fluorescence property of RCDs have also been verified in living cell studies. Therefore, the RCDs will be a promising nanothermometer for intracellular temperature sensing in diverse areas.
精确感知细胞内温度可以提供与疾病相关的细胞状态的大量信息，并促进诊断方法的发展。基于荧光的纳米温度计作为“非接触式”传感器，由于在分子水平上具有成像和传感的双重功能，因此优于传统温度计。在这里，我们报告了一种基于红色发射碳纳米点（RCDs）的纳米温度计，用于细胞内温度感应。结果表明，RCDs 在从 4 到 80°C 的宽温度范围内具有良好的线性关系、可逆性和可重复性的有利的温度响应荧光特性。同时，RCDs 具有令人满意的热灵敏度和温度分辨率，优于或可与当前的纳米温度计相媲美。在活细胞研究中还验证了 RCDs 的低细胞毒性和优异的温度响应荧光特性。因此，RCDs 将成为用于各种领域的细胞内温度感应的有前途的纳米温度计。
