Issue 6, 2020

Multicationic AIEgens for unimolecular photodynamic theranostics and two-photon fluorescence bioimaging

Abstract

Photodynamic theranostics integrating synchronous photodynamic therapy and real-time monitoring of therapeutic efficacy has attracted great interest in clinical cancer management. Recently, a series of cationic molecules have been reported as self-reporting photosensitizers for unimolecular photodynamic theranostics. However, the design rationality and mechanisms for such multifunctional photosensitizers are not well understood and need further exploration. In this work, we have designed and synthesized three multicationic AIEgen photosensitizers with similar core structures, but which are end-capped with pyridinium groups (BPCI and TPCI) or quaternary ammonium groups (TPCB), respectively. The tetra-pyridinium-tethered TPCI exhibits superior efficiency in reactive oxygen species generation and dead cell identification compared to both bis-pyridinium-tethered BPCI and tetra-ammonium-tethered TPCB. The structure–activity relationship of all three AIEgens has been studied in detail, which provides great insights into designing the new generation of photosensitizers for photodynamic theranostics. Strikingly, all the multicationic AIEgens have large two-photon absorption cross-sections, and TPCI can effectively kill Caenorhabditis elegans upon white light irradiation and differentiate the dead nematodes from the living ones through the redistribution of its two-photon fluorescence, demonstrating great potential in two-photon fluorescence imaging-guided photodynamic theranostics.

Graphical abstract: Multicationic AIEgens for unimolecular photodynamic theranostics and two-photon fluorescence bioimaging

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
28 Feb 2020
Accepted
20 Apr 2020
First published
20 Apr 2020

Mater. Chem. Front., 2020,4, 1623-1633

Multicationic AIEgens for unimolecular photodynamic theranostics and two-photon fluorescence bioimaging

Y. Gao, H. Zhang, Z. He, F. Fang, C. Wang, K. Zeng, S. Gao, F. Meng, L. Luo and B. Z. Tang, Mater. Chem. Front., 2020, 4, 1623 DOI: 10.1039/D0QM00119H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements