Issue 7, 2019

Theoretical insight into joint photodynamic action of a gold(i) complex and a BODIPY chromophore for singlet oxygen generation

Abstract

Density functional theory is herein employed to provide theoretical insight into the mechanism involved in 1O2 photosensitization by a gold–BODIPY combined complex proposed as a promising photodynamic therapy agent. The protocol is thus used to compute the non-radiative rate constants for the S1 → Tj intersystem crossing transitions. Calculations show that while the incorporation of an iodine atom into the core skeleton of BODIPY enhances the singlet–triplet intersystem crossing (ISC) efficiency due to the occurrence of the singlet–triplet transition between states with different orbital characters (ππ* → πn*), the presence of a gold atom, even if not directly anchored to the chromophore core but through a triplet bond, equally entails an increase of the spin–orbit coupling constant due to the heavy atom effect. In this way, the system is able to generate singlet molecular oxygen, the key cytotoxic agent in PDT. Our results fit well with the experimental singlet oxygen quantum yield and cytotoxicity determination.

Graphical abstract: Theoretical insight into joint photodynamic action of a gold(i) complex and a BODIPY chromophore for singlet oxygen generation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
31 Jul 2018
Accepted
29 Aug 2018
First published
29 Aug 2018

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019,21, 3446-3452

Theoretical insight into joint photodynamic action of a gold(I) complex and a BODIPY chromophore for singlet oxygen generation

B. C. De Simone, G. Mazzone, W. Sang-aroon, T. Marino, N. Russo and E. Sicilia, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 3446 DOI: 10.1039/C8CP04848G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements