Temperature-Dependent Fluorescence of Cu5 Metal Clusters: A Molecular Thermometer

摘要

The accurate measurement of temperature is of increasing importance as it is required for widespread applications (electronic devices, biology, medical diagnostics). In this context, fluorescence thermometry has already shown great potential, and a variety of molecules have been proposed as luminescent molecular thermometers. Herein, we describe Cu5 metal cluster 1 (Figure 1) that presents remarkable photophysical properties, both in solution and as the solid, characterized by temperature-dependent emission intensity and lifetime that change significantly in the range between —45 and +80°C. These properties allow for an unprecedented accuracy in temperature determination by fluorescence measurements, with the high sensitivity and the high temporal (sub-millisecond) and spatial (sub-micrometer) resolution typical of photbluminescence spectroscopy.