Trends in hyperspectral imaging: from environmental and health sensing to structure-property and nano-bio interaction studies

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a technique that allows for the simultaneous acquisition of both spatial and spectral information. While HSI has been known for years in the field of remote sensing, for instance in geology, cultural heritage, or food industries, it recently emerged in the fields of nano- and micromaterials as well as bioimaging and -sensing. Herein, the attractiveness of HSI arises from the suitability for generating knowledge about environment-specific optical properties, such as photoluminescence of optical probes in a biological sample or at a single-crystal/particle level, to be leveraged into better understanding of structure-property relationships and nano-bio interactions, respectively. Moreover, given its excellent spectral resolution, HSI is highly suitable for optical multiplexing in multiple dimensions, as sought after for, e.g., high throughput biological imaging by simultaneous tracking of multiple targets. Overall, HSI is an emerging technique that has the potential to transform analytical approaches from biomedicine to advanced materials research. This Trends Article provides insight into the potential of HSI, highlighting selected examples from well-established fields including environmental monitoring and food quality control to set the stage for the discussion of emerging opportunities at the micro- and nanoscale. Herein, special focus is set on photoluminescent micro- and nanoprobes for health and spectral conversion applications. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].