Non-invasive precise thermometers working at the nanoscale with high spatial resolution, where the conventional methods are ineffective, have emerged over the last couple of years as a very active field of research. This has been strongly stimulated by the numerous challenging requests arising from nanotechnology and biomedicine. This critical review offers a general overview of recent examples of luminescent and non-luminescent thermometers working at nanometric scale. Luminescent thermometers encompass organic dyes, QDs and Ln3+ions as thermal probes, as well as more complex thermometric systems formed by polymer and organic–inorganic hybrid matrices encapsulating these emitting centres. Non-luminescent thermometers comprise of scanning thermal microscopy, nanolithography thermometry, carbon nanotube thermometry and biomaterials thermometry. Emphasis has been put on ratiometric examples reporting spatial resolution lower than 1 micron, as, for instance, intracellular thermometers based on organic dyes, thermoresponsive polymers, mesoporous silica NPs, QDs, and Ln3+-based up-converting NPs and β-diketonate complexes. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in the development for highly sensitive ratiometric thermometers operating at the physiological temperature range with submicron spatial resolution.

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Thermometry at the nanoscale

Transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes), a family of two-dimensional (2D) inorganic compounds, are materials composed of a few atomic layers of transition metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides. Ti3C2, the first 2D layered MXene, was isolated in 2011. This material, which is a layered bulk material analogous to graphite, was derived from its 3D phase, Ti3AlC2 MAX. Since then, material scientists have either determined or predicted the stable phases of >200 different MXenes based on combinations of various transition metals such as Ti, Mo, V, Cr, and their alloys with C and N. Extensive experimental and theoretical studies have shown their exciting potential for energy conversion and electrochemical storage. To this end, we comprehensively summarize the current advances in MXene research. We begin by reviewing the structure types and morphologies and their fabrication routes. The review then discusses the mechanical, electrical, optical, and electrochemical properties of MXenes. The focus then turns to their exciting potential in energy storage and conversion. Energy storage applications include electrodes in rechargeable lithium- and sodium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, and supercapacitors. In terms of energy conversion, photocatalytic fuel production, such as hydrogen evolution from water splitting, and carbon dioxide reduction are presented. The potential of MXenes for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in water, such as dye waste, is also addressed, along with their promise as catalysts for ammonium synthesis from nitrogen. Finally, their application potential is summarized.

Applications of 2D MXenes in energy conversion and storage systems

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an inorganic compound widely used in everyday applications. ZnO is currently listed as a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) material by the Food and Drug Administration and is used as food additive. The advent of nanotechnology has led the development of materials with new properties for use as antimicrobial agents. Thus, ZnO in nanoscale has shown antimicrobial properties and potential applications in food preservation. ZnO nanoparticles have been incorporated in polymeric matrices in order to provide antimicrobial activity to the packaging material and improve packaging properties. This review presents the main synthesis methods of ZnO nanoparticles, principal characteristics and mechanisms of antimicrobial action as well as the effect of their incorporation in polymeric matrices. Safety issues such as exposure routes and migration studies are also discussed.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Antimicrobial Activity and Food Packaging Applications

Quantum dots (QDs) have received great interest for diverse applications due to their distinct advantages, such as narrow and symmetric emission with tunable colors, broad and strong absorption, reasonable stability, and solution processibility Doped QDs not only potentially retain almost all of the above advantages, but also avoid the self-quenching problem due to their substantial ensemble Stokes shift Two obvious advantages of doped QDs, especially doped ZnS QDs, over typical CdSe@ZnS and CdTe QDs are longer dopant emission lifetime and potentially lower cytotoxicity The lifetime of dopant emission from transition-metal ion or lanthanide ion-doped QDs is generally longer than that of the bandgap or defect-related emission of host, and that of biological background fluorescence, providing great opportunities to eliminate background fluorescence for biosensing and bioimaging For bioimaging applications, fluorescent dopants may mitigate toxicity problems by producing visible or infrared emission in nanocrystals made from less-harmful elements than those currently used In this review, recent advances in utilizing doped QDs for chemo/biosensing and bioimaging are discussed, and the synthetic routes and optical properties of doped QDs that make them excellent probes for various strategies in chemo/biosensing and bioimaging are highlighted Moreover, perspectives on future exploration of doped QDs for chemo/biosensing and bioimaging are also given

Doped quantum dots for chemo/biosensing and bioimaging

Temperature is a fundamental thermodynamic variable, the measurement of which is crucial in countless scientific investigations and technological developments, accounting at present for 75%–80% of the sensor market throughout the world.[1] Traditional liquid-filled and bimetallic thermometers, thermocouples, pyrometers, and thermistors are generally not suitable for temperature measurements at scales below 10 μm. This intrinsic limitation has encouraged the development of new non-contact accurate thermometers with micrometric and nanometric precision, a challenging research topic increasingly hankered for [1–2].

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A luminescent molecular thermometer for long-term absolute temperature measurements at the nanoscale

Quantum dot (QD) nanocrystals which have important optical properties, in particular, the wavelength of their fluorescence, depend strongly on their size. Colloidal QDs once dispersed in a solvent are quite interesting fluorescence probes for all types of labelling studies because of their reduced tendency to photo bleach. In this review, we will give an overview on how QDs have been used so far in cell biology. In particular, we will discuss the biologically relevant properties of QDs and focus on four topics: labeling of cellular structures and receptors with QDs, incorporation of QDs by living cells, tracking the path and the fate of individual cells using QD labels, and QDs as contrast agents. QDs are seen to be much better in terms of efficacy over radioisotopes in tracing medicine in vivo. They are rapidly being applied to existing and emerging technologies but here this review deals with a comprehensive compilation of the biological relevance of quantum dots. It covers important information from 1999 till 2008 with few from 1982 to 1997.

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Review: biofunctionalized quantum dots in biology and medicine

Interaction of chitosan capped ZnO nanorods with Escherichia coli

In this work we have synthesized quaternary chalcogenide Cu2NiSnS4 (QC) nanoparticles grown in situ on 2D reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for application as anode material of solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). Thorough characterization of the synthesized composite validates the proper phase, stoichiometry, and morphology. Detailed electrochemical study of the electrode materials and ASCs has been performed. The as-fabricated device delivers an exceptionally high areal capacitance (655.1 mF cm–2), which is much superior to that of commercial micro-supercapacitors. Furthermore, a remarkable volumetric capacitance of 16.38 F cm–3 is obtained at a current density of 5 mA cm–2 combined with a very high energy density of 5.68 mW h cm–3, which is comparable to that of commercially available lithium thin film batteries. The device retains 89.2% of the initial capacitance after running for 2000 cycles, suggesting its long-term capability. Consequently, the enhanced areal and volumetric capacitances combin...

Novel Quaternary Chalcogenide/Reduced Graphene Oxide-Based Asymmetric Supercapacitor with High Energy Density

Glass-ceramics as oxidation resistant bond coat in thermal barrier coating system

Phosphorus doped nanocrystalline NiO thin films were synthesized using radio frequency magnetron sputtering of a prefabricated target on glass and silicon substrates in argon atmosphere. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the good crystallinity and proper phase formation. Phosphorus doping in NiO films was confirmed from the binding energy determination by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies. Morphological information was obtained from the atomic force microscopic measurement. Determination of band gaps from the UV–vis–NIR spectrophotometric measurement showed that it increased from 3.66 to 3.81 eV corresponding to undoped and 10% P doped NiO thin films.

G. C. Das

Papers

Review: biofunctionalized quantum dots in biology and medicine

Interaction of chitosan capped ZnO nanorods with Escherichia coli

Novel Quaternary Chalcogenide/Reduced Graphene Oxide-Based Asymmetric Supercapacitor with High Energy Density

Glass-ceramics as oxidation resistant bond coat in thermal barrier coating system

Band gap widening of nanocrystalline nickel oxide thin films via phosphorus doping