Issue 42, 2022

AIE-active Ir(iii) complexes functionalised with a cationic Schiff base ligand: synthesis, photophysical properties and applications in photodynamic therapy

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment method. Traditional small-molecule photosensitizers (PSs) suffer from low intersystem crossing (ISC) ability and aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), which adversely affects the luminous efficiency and singlet oxygen (1O2) yield of PSs in the aggregated state. Ir(III) complexes are promising PSs with long excited-state lifetime, good photophysical and photochemical properties and large Stokes shifts. Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics could reduce the nonradiative recombination and improve the ISC ability of excited states through the restriction of the intramolecular motions in aggregated states. Accordingly, two AIE-active Ir(III) complexes Ir-1-N+ and Ir-2-N+ were successfully designed and obtained based on Schiff base ligands. Experimental results showed that Ir-1-N+ and Ir-2-N+ have good photophysical properties and the corresponding nanoparticles (NPs) have good water solubility and 1O2 generation ability. Notably, Ir-2-N+ NPs can be efficiently taken up by mouse breast cancer cells (4T1 cells) with good biocompatibility, low dark toxicity and excellent phototoxicity. This work demonstrates a versatile strategy for exploiting efficient transition metal PSs with a cationic ligand in PDT.

Graphical abstract: AIE-active Ir(iii) complexes functionalised with a cationic Schiff base ligand: synthesis, photophysical properties and applications in photodynamic therapy

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 9 2022
Accepted
30 9 2022
First published
11 10 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Dalton Trans., 2022,51, 16119-16125

AIE-active Ir(III) complexes functionalised with a cationic Schiff base ligand: synthesis, photophysical properties and applications in photodynamic therapy

S. Liu, J. Han, W. Wang, Y. Chang, R. Wang, Z. Wang, G. Li, D. Zhu and M. R. Bryce, Dalton Trans., 2022, 51, 16119 DOI: 10.1039/D2DT02960J

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