A cationic fluorescent polymeric thermometer for the ratiometric sensing of intracellular temperature

We developed new cationic fluorescent polymeric thermometers containing both benzothiadiazole and BODIPY units as an environment-sensitive fluorophore and as a reference fluorophore, respectively. The temperature-dependent fluorescence spectra of the thermometers enabled us to perform highly sensitive and practical ratiometric temperature sensing inside living mammalian cells. Intracellular temperatures of non-adherent MOLT-4 (human acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) and adherent HEK293T (human embryonic kidney) cells could be monitored with high temperature resolutions (0.01-1.0 °C) using the new cationic fluorescent polymeric thermometer. The temperature-dependent fluorescence spectra of a new polymeric thermometer enabled highly sensitive and practical ratiometric temperature sensing inside mammalian cells.