Mechanoluminescent Nanomaterials: The Candidates in Biosensing and Bioimaging Applications

Dynamic changes in tissue mechanical properties and environmental mechanics occur throughout the body are known to regulate the functions of cells and tissues. Thus, continuous monitoring of biomechanics implicated in life activities can help understand the fundamentals of tissue and cell behaviors. However, most biophysical tools for quantifying and characterizing biomechanics are mechanical force sensors based on electrical readouts, relying on battery and complex electrical connection. Mechanoluminescence (ML) is the phenomenon that converts mechanical stimuli into light emissions, and is featured with self-powered sensing, remote signal transmission and so on. Due to the small sizes, ML nanomaterials can be readily transported in body or be immobilized on biointerfaces, thus achieving in vivo and continuous ML sensing. To highlight the great potentials of ML nanomaterials in continuous biomechanics monitoring and other biological applications, this Review will focus on the ML mechanism, the advantages and applications of ML nanomaterials in sustainable biosensing and bioimaging, and conclude with the challenges of ML nanomaterials and an outlook on their future development.