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 Ln 3+ 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 Ln 3+ -based up-converting NPs and b-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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A unique Eu3+/Tb3+ luminescent self‐referencing nanothermometer allowing absolute measurements in the 10–350 K temperature range and sub‐micrometer spatial resolution is reported (see Figure). It has up to 4.9%·K−1 temperature sensitivity and high photostability for long‐term use. The combination of molecular thermometry, superparamagnetism and luminescence in a nanometric host matrix provides multifunctionality opening the way for new exciting applications.

Non-invasive accuarate thermometers with high spatial resolution and operating at sub-micron scales, where the conventional methods are ineffective, is currently a very active field of research strongly stimulated in the last couple of years by the challenging demands of nanotechnology and biomedicine. This review offers a general overview of recent examples of accurate luminescent 10 thermometers working at micrometric and nanometric scales, particularly those involving advanced Ln 3+ -based functional organic−inorganic hybrid materials. 95 the Ministry of Education. CDSB (SFRH/BD/38472/2007) and PPL (SFRH/BPD/34365/2006) thank FCT for grants. NJOS acknowledges FCT for Ciência 2008 program.