A visual physiological temperature sensor developed with gelatin-stabilized luminescent silver nanoclusters

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Fluorescent nanomaterials offer unique optical properties for sensing applications.
• Developing visual temperature sensors with high sensitivity and low interference is crucial for physiological monitoring.
• Silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) have emerged as promising fluorescent probes due to their tunable optical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel visual physiological temperature sensor.
• To synthesize and characterize fluorescent silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) stabilized by gelatin.
• To evaluate the temperature-sensing capabilities of the developed AgNCs.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis of fluorescent silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) at room temperature.
• Gelatin was used as a protective and reducing agent for AgNC synthesis.
• Characterization of AgNC size, distribution, and optical properties (emission and excitation spectra, Stokes shift).
• Testing the temperature sensitivity of gelatin-stabilized AgNCs in the physiological range (5°C to 45°C).

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized water-soluble, uniform gelatin-stabilized AgNCs with an average size of 1.16 nm.
• AgNCs exhibited a maximum emission band at 552 nm when excited at 445 nm.
• A large Stokes shift of 110 nm was observed, minimizing background and scattering interferences.
• The developed AgNCs demonstrated temperature sensitivity within the 5°C to 45°C range.

Conclusions:

• A novel visual physiological temperature sensor was successfully developed using gelatin-stabilized AgNCs.
• The sensor utilizes the temperature-dependent fluorescence of AgNCs for visual detection.
• This approach offers a promising, low-interference method for physiological temperature monitoring.