Von Ein- zu Zwei-Photonen-Sonden: photoaktivierbare Reagentien, Aktuatoren und Photoschalter

Inactivation of Competitive Decay Channels Leads to Enhanced Coumarin Photochemistry

In the development of photolabile protecting groups, it is of high interest to selectively modify photochemical properties with structural changes as simple as possible. In this work, knowledge of fluorophore optimization was adopted and used to design new coumarin‐ based photocages. Photolysis efficiency was selectively modulated by inactivating competitive decay channels, such as twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) or hydrogen‐bonding, and the photolytic release of the neurotransmitter serotonin was demonstrated. Structural modifications inspired by the fluorophore ATTO 390 led to a significant increase in the uncaging cross section that can be further improved by the simple addition of a double bond. Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy gave insights into the underlying solvent‐dependent photophysical dynamics. The chromophores presented here are excellently suited as new photocages in the visible wavelength range due to their simple synthesis and their superior photochemical properties.

C=C Bond Oxidative Cleavage of BODIPY Photocages by Visible Light

Photocages for protection and the controlled release of bioactive compounds have been widely investigated. However, the vast majority of these photocages employ the cleavage of single bonds and high-energy ultraviolet light. The construction of a photoactivation system that uses visible light to cleave unsaturated bonds still remains a challenge. Herein, we report a regioselective oxidative cleavage of C=C bonds from a boron-dipyrrolemethene (BODIPY)-based photocage by illumination at 630 nm, resulting in a free aldehyde and a thiol fluorescent probe. This strategy was demonstrated in live HeLa cells, and the generated α-formyl-BODIPY allowed real-time monitoring of aldehyde release in the cells. In particular, it is shown that a mannose-functionalized photocage can target HepG2 cells.

Multipolar Porphyrin-Triazatruxene Arrays for Two-Photon Fluorescence Cell Imaging

Two-photon excited fluorescent (TPEF) materials are highly desirable for bioimaging applications owing to their unique characteristics of deep-tissue penetration and high spatiotemporal resolution. Herein, by connecting one, two, or three electron-deficient zinc porphyrin units to an electron-rich triazatruxene core via ethynyl π-bridges, conjugated multipolar molecules TAT-(ZnP)_n (n=1-3) were developed as TPEF materials for cell imaging. The three new dyes present high fluorescence quantum yields (0.40-0.47) and rationally improved two-photon absorption (TPA) properties. In particular, the peak TPA cross section of TAT-ZnP (436 GM) is significantly larger than that of the ZnP reference (59 GM). The δ_TPA values of TAT-(ZnP)₂ and TAT-(ZnP)₃ further increase to 1031 and up to 1496 GM, respectively, indicating the effect of incorporated ZnP units on the TPA properties. The substantial improvement of the TPEF properties is attributed to the formation of π-conjugated quadrapole/octupole molecules and the extension of D-π-A-D systems, which has been rationalized by density function theory (DFT) calculations. Moreover, all of the three new dyes display good biocompatibility and preferential targeting ability toward cytomembrane, thus can be superior candidates for TPEF imaging of living cells. Overall, this work demonstrated a promising strategy for the development of porphyrin-based TPEF materials by the construction and extension of D-π-A-D multipolar array.

Two in One: Light as a Tool for 3D Printing and Erasing at the Microscale

The ability to selectively remove sections from 3D-printed structures with high resolution remains a current challenge in 3D laser lithography. A novel photoresist is introduced to enable the additive fabrication of 3D microstructures at one wavelength and subsequent spatially controlled cleavage of the printed resist at another wavelength. The photoresist is composed of a difunctional acrylate cross-linker containing a photolabile o-nitrobenzyl ether moiety. 3D microstructures are written by photoinduced radical polymerization of acrylates using Ivocerin as photoinitiator upon exposure to 900 nm laser light. Subsequent scanning using a laser at 700 nm wavelength allows for the selective removal of the resist by photocleaving the o-nitrobenzyl group. Both steps rely on two-photon absorption. The fabricated and erased features are imaged using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser scanning microscopy (LSM). In addition, a single wire bond is successfully eliminated from an array, proving the possibility of complete or partial removal of structures on demand.

Photocatalysis Enables Visible-Light Uncaging of Bioactive Molecules in Live Cells

The photo-manipulation of bioactive molecules provides unique advantages due to the high temporal and spatial precision of light. The first visible-light uncaging reaction by photocatalytic deboronative hydroxylation in live cells is now demonstrated. Using Fluorescein and Rhodamine derivatives as photocatalysts and ascorbates as reductants, transient hydrogen peroxides were generated from molecular oxygen to uncage phenol, alcohol, and amine functional groups on bioactive molecules in bacteria and mammalian cells, including neurons. This effective visible-light uncaging reaction enabled the light-inducible protein expression, the photo-manipulation of membrane potentials, and the subcellular-specific photo-release of small molecules.

A Modular Approach to Sensitized Two-Photon Patterning of Photodegradable Hydrogels

Photodegradable hydrogels have emerged as useful platforms for research on cell function, tissue engineering, and cell delivery as their physical and chemical properties can be dynamically controlled by the use of light. The photo-induced degradation of such hydrogel systems is commonly based on the integration of photolabile o-nitrobenzyl derivatives to the hydrogel backbone, because such linkers can be cleaved by means of one- and two-photon absorption. Herein we describe a cytocompatible click-based hydrogel containing o-nitrobenzyl ester linkages between a hyaluronic acid backbone, which is photodegradable in the presence of cells. It is demonstrated for the first time that by using a cyclic benzylidene ketone-based small molecule as photosensitizer the efficiency of the two-photon degradation process can be improved significantly. Biocompatibility of both the improved two-photon micropatterning process as well as the hydrogel itself is confirmed by cell culture studies.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer (PET)-Mediated Fragmentation of Picolinium-Derived Redox Probes

The photolysis of covalently linked N-alkyl picolinium phenylacetate-carbazole dyads was analyzed experimentally and by using density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent-DFT (TD-DFT) calculations. In contrast to earlier observations efficient one and two-photon fragmentations conditions were found for 15 c (δ_u =0.16 GM at 730 nm) opening the way for the design of a novel class of "caged" compounds.

Expanding Anti-Stokes Shifting in Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconversion for In Vivo Anticancer Prodrug Activation

A strategy to expand anti-Stokes shifting from the far-red to deep-blue region in metal-free triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) is presented. The method is demonstrated by in vivo titration of the photorelease of an anticancer prodrug. This new TTA system has robust brightness and the longest anti-Stokes shift of any reported TTA system. TTA core-shell-structured prodrug delivery capsules that benefit from these properties were developed; they can operate with low-power density far-red light-emitting diode light. These capsules contain mesoporous silica nanoparticles preloaded with TTA molecules as the core, and amphiphilic polymers encapsulating anticancer prodrug molecules as the shell. When stimulated by far-red light, the intense TTA upconversion blue emission in the system activates the anticancer prodrug molecules and shows effective tumor growth inhibition in vivo. This work paves the way to new organic TTA upconversion techniques that are applicable to in vivo photocontrollable drug release and other biophotonic applications.

Quinoline-Derived Two-Photon-Sensitive Octupolar Probes

A systematic study on quinoline‐derived light sensitive probes, having third‐order rotational symmetry is presented. The electronically linked octupolar structures show considerably improved linear and nonlinear photophysical properties under one‐ and two‐photon irradiation conditions compared to the corresponding monomers. Photolysis of the three acetate derivatives shows strong structure dependency: whereas irradiation of the 6‐ and 7‐aminoquinoline derivatives resulted in fast intramolecular cyclization and only trace amounts of fragmentation products, the 8‐aminoquinoline derivative afforded clean and selective photolysis, with a sequential release of their acetate groups (δ_u^[730]=0.67 GM).

Cooperative Veratryle and Nitroindoline Cages for Two-Photon Uncaging in the NIR

Tandem uncaging systems in which a two-photon absorbing module and a cage moiety, linked via a phosphorous clip, that act together by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) have been developed. A library of these compounds, using different linkers and cages (7-nitroindolinyl or nitroveratryl) has been synthesized. The investigation of their uncaging and two-photon absorption properties demonstrates the scope and versatility of the engineering strategy towards efficient two-photon cages and reveals surprising cooperative and topological effects. The interactions between the 2PA module and the caging moiety are found to promote cooperative effects on the 2PA response while additional processes that enhance the uncaging efficiency are operative in well-oriented nitroindoline-derived dyads. These synergic effects combine to lead to record two-photon uncaging cross-section values (i.e., up to 20 GM) for uncaging of carboxylic acids.

Conformational Change of Self-Assembled DNA Nanotubes Induced by Two-Photon Excitation

Two-photon-regulated, shape-changing DNA nanostructures are demonstrated by integrating a DNA nanotube with a two-photon photocleavable module that enables the opening of the cavities of tube, and becomes partially single-stranded in response to two-photon excitation under 800 nm fs laser pulses.

Cell-mediated assembly of phototherapeutics

Light-activatable drugs offer the promise of controlled release with exquisite temporal and spatial resolution. However, light-sensitive prodrugs are typically converted to their active forms using short-wavelength irradiation, which displays poor tissue penetrance. We report herein erythrocyte-mediated assembly of long-wavelength-sensitive phototherapeutics. The activating wavelength of the constructs is readily preassigned by using fluorophores with the desired excitation wavelength λ(ex). Drug release from the erythrocyte carrier was confirmed by standard analytical tools and by the expected biological consequences of the liberated drugs in cell culture: methotrexate, binding to intracellular dihydrofolate reductase; colchicine, inhibition of microtubule polymerization; dexamethasone, induced nuclear migration of the glucocorticoid receptor.

Caged Phosphate and the Slips and Misses in Determination of Quantum Yields for Ultraviolet-A-Induced Photouncaging

The quantum yields for photouncaging reactions are mostly determined relative to other uncaging reactions, often using 1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl-phosphate ("caged phosphate"). Herein, we demonstrate that the quantum yields acquired by using this method can be off by an order of magnitude at the typical irradiation wavelengths around 350 nm and describe an easy-to-use alternative procedure using inexpensive azobenzene.