Photoactivatable BODIPY Platform: Light-Triggered Anticancer Drug Release and Fluorescence Monitoring

We report a photoactivatable fluorophore that relies on the conversion of a dark meso-ester-BODIPY to an emissive meso-carboxylate-BODIPY. The process is triggered by the photolysis of an aryl azide to an amine, which occurs in a high photochemical yield, and does not release toxic nitroso photoproducts. Its utility is demonstrated in platforms that simultaneously release upon irradiation both a bioactive molecule and an emissive dye, resulting in an approximate 1250-fold luminescence increase.