Aggregation Control of Robust Water-Soluble Zinc(II) Phthalocyanine-Based Photosensitizers

Langmuir. 2016 Nov 15;32(45):11980-11985. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b03552. Epub 2016 Nov 3.

Abstract

A water-soluble zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) complex with four negatively charged electron-withdrawing sulfonic acid substituents at the nonperipheral positions (α-ZnTSPc) is found to have a high singlet oxygen (1O2) quantum yield and exhibits high photostability. The formation of aggregates is hindered and the highest occupied molecular orbital is significantly stabilized, making α-ZnTSPc potentially suitable for its use as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy and photoimmunotherapy. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals that mixtures of the negatively charged α-ZnTSPc complex with a similar positively charged ZnPc were found to result in the self-assembly of one-dimensional accordion-like fibers. Supramolecular fibers can be formed in aqueous solutions through intermolecular electrostatic and donor-acceptor interactions between the two water-soluble ZnPcs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't