Morphology does not matter: WSe2 luminescence nanothermometry unravelled

Abstract

Transition metal dichalcogenides, including WSe₂, have gained significant attention as promising nanomaterials for various applications due to their unique properties. In this study, we explore the temperature-dependent photoluminescent properties of WSe₂ nanomaterials to investigate their potential as luminescent nanothermometers. We compare the performance of WSe₂ quantum dots and nanorods synthesized using sonication synthesis and hot injection methods. Our results show a distinct temperature dependence of the photoluminescence, and conventional ratiometric luminescence thermometry demonstrates comparable relative thermal sensitivity (0.68–0.80% K⁻¹) and temperature uncertainty (1.3–1.5 K), irrespective of the morphology of the nanomaterials. By applying multiple linear regression to WSe₂ quantum dots, we achieve enhanced thermal sensitivity (30% K⁻¹) and reduced temperature uncertainty (0.1 K), highlighting the potential of WSe₂ as a versatile nanothermometer for microfluidics, nanofluidics, and biomedical assays.