In situ thermal imaging and absolute temperature monitoring by luminescent diphenylalanine nanotubes.

The temperature sensing capability of diphenylalanine nanotubes is investigated. The materials can detect local rapid temperature changes and measure the absolute temperature in situ with a precision of 1 °C by monitoring the temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) intensity and lifetime, respectively. The PL lifetime is independent of ion concentrations in the medium as well as pH in the physiological range. This biocompatible thermal sensing platform has immense potential in the in situ mapping of microenvironmental temperature fluctuations in biological systems for disease diagnosis and therapeutics.