Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 27, 2026
09:45
Photodynamic Therapy with Blended Conducting Polymer/Fullerene Nanoparticle Photosensitizers
Published on: October 28, 2015
8.9K
Anionic Boron-Cluster BODIPY Conjugates As Promising Photosensitizers for Targeted Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy
Javier Ordóñez-Hernández1, Andromeda-Celeste Gómez2,3, Jordi Hernando4
1Inorganic Materials and Catalysis Laboratory (LMI), Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona 08193, Spain.
ACS Omega
|October 6, 2025
Summary
Novel boron-cluster-BODIPY conjugates show potent antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) activity against drug-resistant bacteria. These compounds offer a promising, selective approach for infection control with minimal dark toxicity.
Area of Science:
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Photochemistry
- Biomedical Applications
Background:
- Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) offers a light-activated approach to combat infections.
- Developing novel photosensitizers with improved efficacy and safety is crucial for advancing aPDT.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, synthesize, and characterize novel anionic boron-cluster-BODIPY conjugates as photosensitizers for aPDT.
- To evaluate the photophysical properties and antimicrobial efficacy of these new conjugates against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of three boron-cluster-BODIPY conjugates: BDP-FES, BDP-COS, and BDP-B12.
- Photophysical characterization including absorption, emission, and fluorescence quantum yield determination.
- Antimicrobial evaluation against Gram-positive bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus) under green light irradiation.
Main Results:
- Conjugates exhibited red-shifted absorption and emission spectra with suppressed fluorescence quantum yields.
- BDP-B12 demonstrated potent, light-dependent bactericidal activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria.
- Negligible dark toxicity was observed, indicating selective photodynamic action.
Conclusions:
- Anionic boron clusters effectively modulate the properties of BODIPY photosensitizers.
- These novel conjugates show potential as next-generation agents for targeted disinfection and infection control.
- The study bridges inorganic chemistry and biomedical applications for developing biocompatible photodynamic agents.
