Molecular Quantum Nanosensors Functioning in Living Cells

Intracellular quantum sensing enables precise probing of biological phenomena such as temperature changes within living cells. However, current nanoscale quantum sensors such as nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in nanodiamond suffer from variability in material quality, limiting their resolution, sensitivity, and applicability to single-particle nanoscale measurements. This study presents molecular quantum nanosensors (MQNs) as an innovative solution for intracellular quantum sensing. By encapsulating molecular qubits within host materials, MQNs achieve enhanced uniformity in spin state energy levels while maintaining sensitivity comparable to nanodiamond-based quantum sensors. Specifically, pentacene-doped para-terphenyl (p-doped TP) allow for room-temperature optical detection of molecular spin states, and p-doped TP nanocrystals are coated with the biocompatible surfactant Pluronic F127. Using biocompatible MQNs, we demonstrate their application in organelle-selective intracellular quantum thermometry. This technology enables precise nanoscale measurements within cellular organelles, advancing the field of in-cell quantum sensing and offering a powerful tool for studying biological processes at molecular resolution.