Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties of Metallobacteriochlorins

Enhanced in vitro photocytotoxicity of water-soluble dendritic pheophorbide-a

Photosensitizers can produce highly reactive singlet oxygen with exposure to visible light and are used in photodynamic therapy to treat a variety of tumors. We report on the synthesis of triethylene glycol dendron-conjugated pheophorbide-a5, a novel photosensitizer. The characteristic absorption bands (Soret and Q-bands, λmax = 405 and 670 nm, respectively) of 5 were appeared clearly in aqueous solution, due to the improved water-solubility of the dendron moiety. The value of singlet oxygen quantum yield of 5 (ΦΔ = 0.22) was higher than free pheophorbide-a (ΦΔ = 0.17) as reference in aqueous solution. Compound 5 also exhibited an enhanced in vitro phototoxicity than pheophorbide-a (PhA) in the concentration range of 1.0–5.0 μg/mL: cell viability in cells treated with 5 was reduced by ~20%, indicating a cell death rate of ~80%, while PhA treatment resulted in a cell death rate of only about 10%. These results indicate that 5 will likely be more efficient in PDT applications. Compared with free PhA, compound 5 showed highly enhanced singlet oxygen generation ability and in vitro photocytotoxicity.

Nano-enabled SERS reporting photosensitizers

To impart effective cellular damage via photodynamic therapy (PDT), it is vital to deliver the appropriate light dose and photosensitizer concentration, and to monitor the PDT dose delivered at the site of interest. In vivo monitoring of photosensitizers has in large part relied on their fluorescence emission. Palladium-containing photosensitizers have shown promising clinical results by demonstrating near full conversion of light to PDT activity at the cost of having undetectable fluorescence. We demonstrate that, through the coupling of plasmonic nanoparticles with palladium-photosensitizers, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) provides both reporting and monitoring capability to otherwise quiescent molecules. Nano-enabled SERS reporting of photosensitizers allows for the decoupling of the therapeutic and imaging mechanisms so that both phenomena can be optimized independently. Most importantly, the design enables the use of the same laser wavelength to stimulate both the PDT and imaging features, opening the potential for real-time dosimetry of photosensitizer concentration and PDT dose delivery by SERS monitoring.

Polarity-tunable and wavelength-tunable bacteriochlorins bearing a single carboxylic acid or NHS ester. Use in a protein bioconjugation model system

10 new near-infrared absorbing bacteriochlorins (soluble in aqueous or membranous media) are equipped for protein bioconjugation.

Synthetic bacteriochlorins bearing polar motifs (carboxylate, phosphonate, ammonium and a short PEG). Water-solubilization, bioconjugation, and photophysical properties

A bacteriochlorin scaffold has been derivatized for life sciences applications.

Near-infrared tunable bacteriochlorins equipped for bioorthogonal labeling

Nine new near-infrared absorbing (729–820 nm) synthetic bacteriochlorins are equipped with one of four reactive groups for bioorthogonal conjugation.

Amphiphilic, hydrophilic, or hydrophobic synthetic bacteriochlorins in biohybrid light-harvesting architectures: consideration of molecular designs

Biohybrid light-harvesting architectures can be constructed that employ native-like bacterial photosynthetic antenna peptides as a scaffold to which synthetic chromophores are attached to augment overall spectral coverage. Synthetic bacteriochlorins are attractive to enhance capture of solar radiation in the photon-rich near-infrared spectral region. The effect of the polarity of the bacteriochlorin substituents on the antenna self-assembly process was explored by the preparation of a bacteriochlorin-peptide conjugate using a synthetic amphiphilic bacteriochlorin (B1) to complement prior studies using hydrophilic (B2, four carboxylic acids) or hydrophobic (B3) bacteriochlorins. The amphiphilic bioconjugatable bacteriochlorin B1 with a polar ammonium-terminated tail was synthesized by sequential Pd-mediated reactions of a 3,13-dibromo-5-methoxybacteriochlorin. Each bacteriochlorin bears a maleimido-terminated tether for attachment to a cysteine-containing analog of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides antenna β-peptide to give conjugates β-B1, β-B2, and β-B3. Given the hydrophobic nature of the β-peptide, the polarity of B1 and B2 facilitated purification of the respective conjugate compared to the hydrophobic B3. Bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) associates with each conjugate in aqueous micellar media to form a dyad containing two β-peptides, two covalently attached synthetic bacteriochlorins, and a datively bonded BChl-a pair, albeit to a limited extent for β-B2. The reversible assembly/disassembly of dyad (β-B2/BChl)2 was examined in aqueous detergent (octyl glucoside) solution by temperature variation (15-35 °C). The energy-transfer efficiency from the synthetic bacteriochlorin to the BChl-a dimer was found to be 0.85 for (β-B1/BChl)2, 0.40 for (β-B2/BChl)2, and 0.85 for (β-B3/BChl)2. Thus, in terms of handling, assembly and energy-transfer efficiency taken together, the amphiphilic design examined herein is more attractive than the prior hydrophilic or hydrophobic designs.

NMR spectral properties of 16 synthetic bacteriochlorins with site-specific 13C or 15N substitution

The 1 H , 13 C , and 15 N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral properties have been examined of a family of synthetic bacteriochlorins wherein each member incorporates a pair of 13 C or 15 N atoms. The atom locations span the inner core of the macrocycle: (1) 15 N at the 21,23- or 22,24-positions; (2) 13 C at the meso- (5,15- or 10,20-) positions; (3) 13 C at the pyrrole α-positions (1,11- or 4,14-positions); and (4) 13 C at the pyrroline α-positions (6,16- or 9,19-positions). Each bacteriochlorin lacks peripheral substituents other than a geminal dimethyl group at the 8- and 18-positions to preclude adventitious dehydrogenation. In total, eight free base and eight zinc bacteriochlorin isotopologs were examined to directly assign 1 H , 13 C and 15 N resonances of the macrocycle skeleton. Complete and unambiguous assignments, including those for all tertiary and quaternary carbons, were accomplished chiefly by direct inspection of 1D NMR spectra of each isotopolog. Coupling constants (1 H –1 H , 13 C –1 H , 15 N –1 H , 13 C –13 C and 15 N –13 C ), which are rarely reported for tetrapyrroles, also were extracted. The 1 H and 13 C chemical shifts were then compared to those of unsaturated analogs (chlorin, porphyrin) and natural bacteriochlorophylls. The comprehensive set of NMR spectroscopic properties of sparsely substituted bacteriochlorins provides valuable information for understanding substitution effects and aromaticity in structurally more elaborate counterparts.

Versatile design of biohybrid light-harvesting architectures to tune location, density, and spectral coverage of attached synthetic chromophores for enhanced energy capture

Biohybrid antennas built upon chromophore-polypeptide conjugates show promise for the design of efficient light-capturing modules for specific purposes. Three new designs, each of which employs analogs of the β-polypeptide from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, have been investigated. In the first design, amino acids at seven different positions on the polypeptide were individually substituted with cysteine, to which a synthetic chromophore (bacteriochlorin or Oregon Green) was covalently attached. The polypeptide positions are at -2, -6, -10, -14, -17, -21, and -34 relative to the 0-position of the histidine that coordinates bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a). All chromophore-polypeptides readily formed LH1-type complexes upon combination with the α-polypeptide and BChl a. Efficient energy transfer occurs from the attached chromophore to the circular array of 875 nm absorbing BChl a molecules (denoted B875). In the second design, use of two attachment sites (positions -10 and -21) on the polypeptide affords (1) double the density of chromophores per polypeptide and (2) a highly efficient energy-transfer relay from the chromophore at -21 to that at -10 and on to B875. In the third design, three spectrally distinct bacteriochlorin-polypeptides were prepared (each attached to cysteine at the -14 position) and combined in an ~1:1:1 mixture to form a heterogeneous mixture of LH1-type complexes with increased solar coverage and nearly quantitative energy transfer from each bacteriochlorin to B875. Collectively, the results illustrate the great latitude of the biohybrid approach for the design of diverse light-harvesting systems.

Synthesis and properties of tetra- and octacationicmeso-tetrakis(3-pyridyl)bacteriochlorin derivatives

The synthesis and properties of new water-soluble tetra- and octacationic derivatives of meso-tetrakis(3-pyridyl)bacteriochlorin are reported. Tetracationic salt was synthesized by quaternization of the pyridine groups of starting bacteriochlorin with 1,4-dibromobutane. Octacationic salts were obtained by treating of tetracationic salt with excess of pyridine or N,N-dimethylaminoethanol. Zinc complexes of water-soluble bacteriochlorin derivatives were prepared by direct metalation of corresponding non-metal compounds with zinc acetylacetonate, unlike to neutral bacteriochlorin which forms zinc complex only by transmetalation of the corresponding cadmium complex. The new bacteriochlorins have strong absorption in red and NIR spectral region. Free-base BCs possess good stability in aqueous solutions as compared to their zinc complexes and efficiently generate singlet oxygen.

Synthesis of 24 bacteriochlorin isotopologues, each containing a symmetrical pair of 13C or 15N atoms in the inner core of the macrocycle

Synthetic bacteriochlorins containing site-specific isotopic substitution enable spectroscopic interrogation to delineate physicochemical features relevant to bacteriochlorophylls in photosynthesis but have been little explored. A de novo synthesis has been employed to prepare bacteriochlorins wherein each macrocycle contains a pair of (13)C or (15)N atoms yet lacks substituents other than a geminal dimethyl group in each pyrroline ring. Preparation of a dihydrodipyrrin–acetal with single-isotopic substitution gives rise to a bacteriochlorin that contains two isotopic substitutions symmetrically disposed by a 180° rotation about the normal to the plane of the macrocycle. Eight such isotopically substituted bacteriochlorins were prepared from commercially available reactants (bacteriochlorin sites): ((13)C)paraformaldehyde (1, 11); ((13)C)formamide (4, 14); triethyl ((13)C)orthoformate (5, 15); K(13)CN (6, 16); (13)CH3NO2 (9, 19); N,N-dimethyl((13)C)formamide (10, 20); ((15)N)pyrrole (21, 23); CH3(15)NO2 (22, 24). Some loss of (15)N upon TiCl3-mediated McMurry-type ring closure of a nitro((15)N)hexanone is attributed to a parallel sequence of three reactions (Nef, exchange with natural-abundance NH4OAc buffer, and Paal–Knorr ring closure) leading to the dihydrodipyrrin–acetal. Zinc and copper chelates of each bacteriochlorin also were prepared. Together, the 24 bacteriochlorin isotopologues should provide valuable benchmarks for understanding ground- and excited-state molecular physics of the macrocycles related to photosynthetic function of bacteriochlorophylls.

Probing electronic communication for efficient light-harvesting functionality: dyads containing a common perylene and a porphyrin, chlorin, or bacteriochlorin

The synthesis, photophysical, redox, and molecular-orbital characteristics of three perylene-tetrapyrrole dyads were investigated to probe the efficacy of the arrays for use as light-harvesting constituents. Each dyad contains a common perylene-monoimide that is linked at the N-imide position via an arylethynyl group to the meso-position of the tetrapyrrole. The tetrapyrroles include a porphyrin, chlorin, and bacteriochlorin, which have zero, one, and two reduced pyrrole rings, respectively. The increased pyrrole-ring reduction results in a progressive red shift and intensification of the lowest-energy absorption band, as exemplified by benchmark monomers. The arylethyne linkage affords moderate perylene-tetrapyrrole electronic coupling in the dyads as evidenced by the optical, molecular-orbital, and redox properties of the components of the dyads versus the constituent parts. All three dyads in nonpolar solvents exhibit relatively fast (subpicosecond) energy transfer from the perylene to the tetrapyrrole. Competing charge-transfer processes are also absent in nonpolar solvents, but become active for both the chlorin and bacteriochlorin-containing dyads in polar solvents. Calculations of energy-transfer rates via the Förster, through-space mechanism reveal that these rates are, on average, 3-fold slower than the observed rates. Thus, the Dexter through-bond mechanism contributes more substantially than the through-space mechanism to energy transfer in the dyads. The electronic communication between the perylene and tetrapyrrole falls in a regime intermediate between those operative in other classes of perylene-tetrapyrrole dyads that have previously been studied.

Porphysome nanoparticles: Tailoring treatments with nature’s pigments

Porphysomes are an emerging class of photonic nanoparticles formed from the self-assembly of porphyrin-lipid conjugates. They retain the multifunctional properties of their porphyrin building-blocks but also have unique properties emerging from the nanostructure itself. Porphysomes are able to act in a number of photonic modalities, from diagnostic fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging, to photodynamic and photothermal therapies. This flexibility enables customizable interventions with potential in the burgeoning field of personalized medicine. Here, we profile early porphysome-like liposomes, true porphysomes, as well as newer porphysome derivatives. We discuss the current applications and future outlook for these multimodal theranostic nanoparticles.

Near-IR emissive chlorin-bacteriochlorin energy-transfer dyads with a common donor and acceptors with tunable emission wavelength

Design, synthesis, and optical properties of a series of novel chlorin-bacteriochlorin energy transfer dyads are described. Each dyad is composed of a common red-absorbing (645-646 nm) chlorin, as an energy donor, and a different near-IR emitting bacteriochlorin, as an energy acceptor. Each bacteriochlorin acceptor is equipped with a different set of auxochromes, so that each of them emits at a different wavelength. Dyads exhibit an efficient energy transfer (≥0.77) even for chlorin-bacteriochlorin pairs with large (up to 122 nm) separation between donor emission and acceptor absorption. Excitation of the chlorin donor results in relatively strong emission of the bacteriochlorin acceptor, with a quantum yield Φf range of 0.155-0.23 in toluene and 0.12-0.185 in DMF. The narrow, tunable emission band of bacteriochlorins enables the selection of a series of three dyads with well-resolved emissions at 732, 760, and 788 nm, and common excitation at 645 nm. Selected dyads have been also converted into bioconjugatable N-succinamide ester derivatives. The optical properties of the described dyads make them promising candidates for development of a family of near-IR fluorophores for simultaneous imaging of multiple targets, where the whole set of fluorophores can be excited with the common wavelength, and fluorescence from each can be independently detected.

Photophysical properties and electronic structure of bacteriochlorin-chalcones with extended near-infrared absorption

Synthetic bacteriochlorins enable systematic tailoring of substituents about the bacteriochlorin chromophore and thereby provide insights concerning the native bacteriochlorophylls of bacterial photosynthesis. Nine free-base bacteriochlorins (eight prepared previously and one prepared here) have been examined that bear diverse substituents at the 13- or 3,13-positions. The substituents include chalcone (3-phenylprop-2-en-1-onyl) derivatives with groups attached to the phenyl moiety, a "reverse chalcone" (3-phenyl-3-oxo-1-enyl), and extended chalcones (5-phenylpenta-2,4-dien-1-onyl, retinylidenonyl). The spectral and photophysical properties (τs, Φf, Φ(ic), Φ(isc), τT, k(f), k(ic), k(isc)) of the bacteriochlorins have been characterized. The bacteriochlorins absorb strongly in the 780-800 nm region and have fluorescence quantum yields (Φf) in the range 0.05-0.11 in toluene and dimethylsulfoxide. Light-induced electron promotions between orbitals with predominantly substituent or macrocycle character or both may give rise to some net macrocycle ↔ substituent charge-transfer character in the lowest and higher singlet excited states as indicated by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations. Such calculations indicated significant participation of molecular orbitals beyond those (HOMO - 1 to LUMO + 1) in the Gouterman four-orbital model. Taken together, the studies provide insight into the fundamental properties of bacteriochlorins and illustrate designs for tuning the spectral and photophysical features of these near-infrared-absorbing tetrapyrrole chromophores.

Molecular electronic tuning of photosensitizers to enhance photodynamic therapy: synthetic dicyanobacteriochlorins as a case study

Photophysical, photostability, electrochemical and molecular-orbital characteristics are analyzed for a set of stable dicyanobacteriochlorins that are promising photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). The bacteriochlorins are the parent compound (BC), dicyano derivative (NC)2BC and corresponding zinc (NC)2BC-Zn and palladium chelate (NC)2BC-Pd. The order of PDT activity against HeLa human cancer cells in vitro is (NC)2BC-Pd > (NC)2BC > (NC)2BC-Zn ≈ BC. The near-infrared absorption feature of each dicyanobacteriochlorin is bathochromically shifted 35-50 nm (748-763 nm) from that for BC (713 nm). Intersystem crossing to the PDT-active triplet excited state is essentially quantitative for (NC)2BC-Pd. Phosphorescence from (NC)2BC-Pd occurs at 1122 nm (1.1 eV). This value and the measured ground-state redox potentials fix the triplet excited-state redox properties, which underpin PDT activity via Type-1 (electron transfer) pathways. A perhaps counterintuitive (but readily explicable) result is that of the three dicyanobacteriochlorins, the photosensitizer with the shortest triplet lifetime (7 μs), (NC)2BC-Pd has the highest activity. Photostabilities of the dicyanobacteriochlorins and other bacteriochlorins studied recently are investigated and discussed in terms of four phenomena: aggregation, reduction, oxidation and chemical reaction. Collectively, the results and analysis provide fundamental insights concerning the molecular design of PDT agents.