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.