Nanoscale porphyrin assemblies based on charge-transfer strategy with enhanced red-shifted absorption
Qihang Wu1, Rui Xia1, Hui Wen1
1State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, PR China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China.
Abstract:
Charge-transfer assemblies (CTAs) represent a new class of functional material due to their excellent optical properties, and show great promise in the biomedical field. Porphyrins are widely used photosensitizers, but the short absorption wavelengths may restrict their practical applications. To obtain porphyrin phototherapeutic agents with red-shifted absorption, charge-transfer nanoscale assemblies (TAPP-TCNQ NPs) of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl) porphyrin (TAPP) and 7,7,8,8‑tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) were prepared via optimizing the stoichiometric ratios of donor-acceptor. The as-prepared TAPP-TCNQ NPs exhibit red-shifted absorption to the near-infrared (NIR) region and enhanced absorbance because of the charge-transfer interactions. In especial, TAPP-TCNQ NPs possess the capacity of both photodynamic and photothermal therapy, thus effectively killing the bacteria upon 808 nm laser irradiation. This modular assembly method provides an alternative strategy to enhance the application of the phototherapeutic agents.
