High performance photosensitizers with aggregation-induced emission for image-guided photodynamic anticancer therapy

Abstract

A series of D–A′–π–A type photosensitizers, AP3 and AP4, were designed and synthesized to show strong aggregation-induced far red and near infrared emission and very effective ¹O₂ generation simultaneously. In comparison with the most widely used photosensitizer, Ce6 nanoparticles, AP4 nanoparticles showed over 10-fold higher fluorescence quantum yield, and more than 3-fold higher ¹O₂ generation efficiency, and have been successfully used for image-guided photodynamic anticancer therapy.