Nd3+-Doped BiVO4 luminescent nanothermometers of high sensitivity.

Neodymium-doped BiVO4 nanoparticles are explored for luminescent nanothermometry in the first and second biological windows. The nanothermometer sensitivity can be increased by an order of magnitude through careful selection of excitation wavelength and emission peaks, leading to sub-degree resolution and penetration depth up to 6 mm in biological tissues.