Femtosecond intersystem crossing to the reactive triplet state of the 2,6-dithiopurine skin cancer photosensitizer

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2021 Nov 17;23(44):25048-25055. doi: 10.1039/d1cp04415j.

Abstract

Site-selected sulfur-substituted nucleobases are a class of all organic, heavy-atom-free photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy applications that exhibit excellent photophysical properties such as strong absorption in the ultraviolet-A region of the electromagnetic spectrum, near-unity triplet yields, and a high yield of singlet oxygen generation. Recent investigations on doubly thionated nucleobases, 2,4-dithiothymine, 2,4-dithiouracil, and 2,6-dithiopurine, demonstrated that these set of dithionated nucleobases outperform the photodynamic efficacy exhibit by 4-thiothymidine-the most widely studied singly substituted thiobase to date. Out of the three dithionated nucleobases, 2,6-dithiopurine was shown to be the most effective, exhibiting inhibition of cell proliferation of up to 63% when combined with a low UVA dose of 5 J cm-2. In this study, we elucidated the electronic relaxation pathways leading to the population of the reactive triplet state of 2,6-dithiopurine. 2,6-Dithiopurine populates the triplet manifold in less than 150 fs, reaching the nπ* triplet state minimum within a lifetime of 280 ± 50 fs. Subsequently, the population in the nπ* triplet state minimum internally converts to the long-lived ππ* triplet state within a lifetime of 3 ± 1 ps. The relatively slow internal conversion lifetime is associated with major conformational relaxation in going from the nπ* to ππ* triplet state minimum. A unity triplet yield of 1.0 ± 0.1 is measured.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Photochemotherapy
  • Photosensitizing Agents / chemistry
  • Photosensitizing Agents / pharmacology*
  • Purines / chemistry
  • Purines / pharmacology*
  • Skin Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology
  • Time Factors
  • Ultraviolet Rays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Photosensitizing Agents
  • Purines
  • 2,6-dithiopurine