1D and 2D Temperature Imaging with a Fluorescent Ruthenium Complex

Temperature imaging based on the fluorescence of the complex [Ru(bpy)3]2+ is described. The method allows precise temperature measurement on unidimensional flow injection reactors and bidimensional measurement on dishes for biological and biochemical assays. The fluorescence dependence on temperature is linear, achieving a resolution of 0.05 K with a simple two-point calibration. The large Stokes shift of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ makes it easy to use a simple CCD camera without special filters. Large or small area fields can be achieved by changing the optics of the camera. High spatial resolution is possible by using any fluorescence microscope.