Bridging Two Dimensions: Luminescent Sensors at the Intersection of Temperature and Pressure

TL;DR

This review discusses the development of luminescent sensors capable of simultaneously measuring temperature and pressure at microscopic scales, highlighting recent advances, challenges, and material selection strategies.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of bifunctional luminescent sensors, emphasizing sensing strategies and material choices for reliable dual-parameter detection.

Findings

Recent progress in bifunctional luminescent sensors

Challenges in developing reliable dual sensors

Strategies for material selection and sensing optimization

Abstract

Luminescence thermometry and manometry are exponentially growing areas dealing with the optical detection of temperature and pressure, respectively, being appealing alternatives for conventional thermometers and manometers. The main benefit of luminescent thermometers and manometers is a possibility of remote temperature and/or pressure monitoring, in contrast to conventional gauges. Moreover, the use of luminescent nanoparticles as temperature/pressure sensors allow detection in micron- and nano-sized areas, previously inaccessible for conventional gauges. Therefore, the combination of both functionalities in a single material is highly appealing, as has been shown in a growing number of reports in the last years. Moreover, the bifunctional pressure and temperature sensors, operating with multiple independent spectroscopic parameters, allow simultaneous and distinct pressure and temperature readouts. However, the development of such truly bifunctional and reliable sensors is very challenging and rarely reported. This review summarizes the current status in the field, focusing on the sensing strategy and the selection of optically active sensor materials appropriate for a given application, including their sensitivity, spectral range of interest and pressure/temperature (in)dependence.