Asymmetric bismuth-rhodamines as an activatable fluorogenic photosensitizer

Area of Science:

• * Inorganic Chemistry
• * Photochemistry
• * Medicinal Chemistry

Background:

• * Bismuth-rhodamine compounds possess unique photosensitizing and fluorescent properties.
• * Understanding structure-property relationships is crucial for developing new applications.
• * Asymmetric bismuth-rhodamine synthesis is underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• * Synthesize and characterize novel asymmetric bismuth-rhodamine compounds.
• * Investigate the photophysical and photosensitizing properties of these new compounds.
• * Develop an activatable fluorogenic photosensitizer for targeted applications.

Main Methods:

• * Synthesis of asymmetric bismuth-rhodamine derivatives (BiRNH, BiRAc).
• * Characterization of photophysical properties (absorption, emission).
• * Evaluation of photosensitizing abilities and cell-based studies with BiRGlu.

Main Results:

• * BiRNH exhibits red-light-excitable emission and photosensitizing properties.
• * BiRAc shows altered photophysical properties compared to BiRNH.
• * BiRGlu, an activatable probe, demonstrates selective phototoxicity and fluorescence in GGT-high cells.

Conclusions:

• * Bismuth-rhodamine scaffolds are versatile for designing activatable fluorogenic photosensitizers.
• * The γ-glutamyl group enables GGT-triggered activation.
• * This work paves the way for targeted photodynamic therapy applications.