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Precise Modulation of Excited-State Energy Flow via Consecutive Twisted Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ConTICT) for
Xin Li1, Fuping Han1, Hongyi Zhang1
1State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Center For Smart Materials, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|April 17, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a novel photothermal agent, Cy-CF3, that efficiently converts light into heat for cancer therapy. This agent overcomes previous limitations, demonstrating high photothermal conversion efficiency and potent in vivo antitumor effects.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Photochemistry
Background:
- Photothermal therapy (PTT) efficacy relies on non-radiative decay, but organic agents face limitations from competing energy pathways and slow excited-state decay.
- These bottlenecks restrict heat generation efficiency per absorbed photon, hindering PTT applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design organic photothermal agents with enhanced efficiency by controlling energy flow pathways.
- To develop a molecule capable of rapid non-radiative decay for improved heat generation and PTT outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Engineered energy barriers to redirect radiative decay and triplet-state transfer towards non-radiative heat generation.
- Utilized a consecutive twisted intramolecular charge transfer (ConTICT) mechanism to accelerate non-radiative relaxation cycles.
- Synthesized and characterized the long-wavelength photothermal molecule Cy-CF3.
Main Results:
- Cy-CF3 demonstrated a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 87.4% under low-power irradiation.
- Achieved a multiple photothermal cycle efficiency of 66.8% with rapid ConTICT cycling (112 times per 10 ns).
- Encapsulated Cy-CF3 in liposomes for tumor targeting, enabling trimodal imaging and effective in vivo antitumor therapy.
Conclusions:
- The developed molecular strategy efficiently manipulates quantum energy flow for enhanced photothermal conversion.
- Cy-CF3 represents a next-generation photothermal agent with potential for advanced cancer theranostics.
- This approach offers a generalizable platform for designing high-performance photothermal agents.
