Issue 19, 2021

Design of BODIPY dyes as triplet photosensitizers: electronic properties tailored for solar energy conversion, photoredox catalysis and photodynamic therapy

Abstract

BODIPYs are renowned fluorescent dyes with strong and tunable absorption in the visible region, high thermal and photo-stability and exceptional fluorescence quantum yields. Transition metal complexes are the most commonly used triplet photosensitisers, but, recently, the use of organic dyes has emerged as a viable and more sustainable alternative. By proper design, BODIPY dyes have been turned from highly fluorescent labels into efficient triplet photosensitizers with strong absorption in the visible region (from green to orange). In this perspective, we report three design strategies: (i) halogenation of the dye skeleton, (ii) donor–acceptor dyads and (iii) BODIPY dimers. We compare pros and cons of these approaches in terms of optical and electrochemical properties and synthetic viability. The potential applications of these systems span from energy conversion to medicine and key examples are presented.

Graphical abstract: Design of BODIPY dyes as triplet photosensitizers: electronic properties tailored for solar energy conversion, photoredox catalysis and photodynamic therapy

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
05 Febr. 2021
Accepted
04 Apr. 2021
First published
14 Apr. 2021
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2021,12, 6607-6628

Design of BODIPY dyes as triplet photosensitizers: electronic properties tailored for solar energy conversion, photoredox catalysis and photodynamic therapy

E. Bassan, A. Gualandi, P. G. Cozzi and P. Ceroni, Chem. Sci., 2021, 12, 6607 DOI: 10.1039/D1SC00732G

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