Hybrid Dissolved-Oxygen and Temperature Sensing: A Nanophotonic Probe for Real-Time Monitoring of Chlorella Algae

Dissolved-oxygen concentration and temperature are amongst the crucial parameters required for the precise monitoring of biological and biomedical systems. A novel hybrid nanocomposite probe for real-time and contactless measurement of both dissolved-oxygen concentration and temperature, based on a combination of downconverting phosphorescent molecules of platinum octaethylporphyrin and lanthanide-doped upconverting nanoparticles immobilized in a host of polystyrene, is here introduced. Chlorella algae are employed here as a model to demonstrate the hybrid nanophotonic sensor's capability to monitor the aforementioned two parameters during the photosynthesis process, since these are among the parameters impacting their production efficiency. These algae have attracted tremendous interest due to their potential to be used for diverse applications such as biofuel production; however, feasibility studies on their economic production are still underway.