TY - JOUR A1 - Schäferling, Michael T1 - Nanoparticle-based luminescent probes for intracellular sensing and imaging of pH JF - WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology N2 - Fluorescence imaging microscopy is an essential tool in biomedical research. Meanwhile, various fluorescent probes are available for the staining of cells, cell membranes, and organelles. Though, to monitor intracellular processes and dysfunctions, probes that respond to ubiquitous chemical parameters determining the cellular function such as pH, pO2, and Ca2+ are required. This review is focused on the progress in the design, fabrication, and application of photoluminescent nanoprobes for sensing and imaging of pH in living cells. The advantages of using nanoprobes carrying fluorescent pHindicators compared to single molecule probes are discussed as well as their limitations due to the mostly lysosomal uptake by cells. Particular attention is paid to ratiometric dual wavelength nanosensors that enable intrinsic referenced measurements. Referencing and proper calibration procedures are basic prerequisites to carry out reliable quantitative pH determinations in complex samples such as living cells. A variety of examples will be presented that highlight the diverseness of nanocarrier materials (polymers, micelles, silica, quantum dots, carbon dots, gold, photon upconversion nanocrystals, or bacteriophages), fluorescent pH indicators for the weak acidic range, and referenced sensing mechanisms, that have been applied intracellularly up to now. KW - pH sensing KW - Luminescent probes KW - Imaging PY - 2016 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/wnan.1366 SN - 1939-0041 SN - 1939-5116 VL - 8 IS - 3 SP - 378 EP - 413 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken, New Jersey, USA AN - OPUS4-36367 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -