Simultaneous Imaging of Temperature and Oxygen by Utilizing Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence and Phosphorescence of a Single Indicator.

Chemical gradients are essential in biological systems, affecting processes like microbial activity in soils and nutrient cycling. Traditional tools, such as microsensors, offer high-resolution data but are limited to one-dimensional measurements. Planar optodes allow for two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) chemical imaging but are often sensitive to temperature changes. This study presents an advanced dual-emission optical sensor that simultaneously measures temperature and oxygen using a modified platinum(II) meso-tetrakis(3,5-ditert-butylphenyl)-tetra(2-tert-butyl-1,4-naphthoquinono)porphyrin. The ratio between thermally activated delayed fluorescence and phosphorescence was optimized by modifying platinum(II) naphthoquinonoporphyrin with tert-butyl groups which simultaneously improved solubility in apolar solvents and polymer matrix (polystyrene). This dual-function sensor enables two-parameter chemical imaging with a consumer-grade RGB camera or a hyperspectral camera. We demonstrated 2D visualization of temperature and oxygen distribution in a model soil system. The RGB camera provided rapid and cost-effective imaging, while the hyperspectral camera offered more detailed spectral information despite some limitations. Our findings revealed the formation of a stable temperature gradient and oxygen depletion, driven by water content and temperature-sensitive microbial activity. This dual O2/T sensor, with further potential improvements, shows considerable promise for advanced multiparameter sensing in complex biological and environmental studies, providing deeper insights into dynamic microenvironments.

Multimaterial Digital-Light Processing of Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) Composites: A Versatile Tool for the Rapid Microfabrication of MOF-Based Devices.

Patterning Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) is essential for their use in sensing, electronics, photonics, and encryption technologies. However, current lithography methods are limited in their ability to pattern more than two MOFs, hindering the potential for creating advanced multifunctional surfaces. Additionally, balancing design flexibility, simplicity, and cost often results in compromises. This study addresses these challenges by combining Digital-Light Processing (DLP) with a capillary-assisted stop-flow system to enable multimaterial MOF patterning. It demonstrates the desktop fabrication of multiplexed arbitrary micropatterns across cm-scale areas while preserving the MOF's pore accessibility. The ink, consisting of a MOF crystal suspension in a low volatile solvent, a mixture of high molecular weight oligomers, and a photoinitiator, is confined by capillarity in the DLP projection area and quickly exchanged using syringe pumps. The versatility of this method is demonstrated by the direct printing of a ZIF-8-based luminescent oxygen sensor, a 5-component dynamic information concealment method, and a PCN-224-based colorimetric sensor for amines, covering disparate pore and analyte sizes. The multi-MOF capabilities, simplicity, and accessibility of this strategy pave the way for the facile exploration of MOF materials across a wide range of applications, with the potential to significantly accelerate the design-to-application cycle of MOF-based devices.

In Vivo Lifetime Imaging of the Internal O2 Dynamics in Corals with near-Infrared-Emitting Sensor Nanoparticles.

Mapping of O2 with luminescent sensors within intact animals is challenging due to attenuation of excitation and emission light caused by tissue absorption and scattering as well as interfering background fluorescence. Here we show the application of luminescent O2 sensor nanoparticles (∼50-70 nm) composed of the O2 indicator platinum(II) tetra(4-fluoro)phenyltetrabenzoporphyrin (PtTPTBPF) immobilized in poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (PMMA-MA). We injected the sensor nanoparticles into the gastrovascular system of intact colony fractions of reef-building tropical corals that harbor photosynthetic microalgae in their tissues. The sensor nanoparticles are excited by red LED light (617 nm) and emit in the near-infrared (780 nm), which enhances the transmission of excitation and emission light through biological materials. This enabled us to map the internal O2 concentration via time-domain luminescence lifetime imaging through the outer tissue layers across several coral polyps in flowing seawater. After injection, nanoparticles dispersed within the coral tissue for several hours. While luminescence intensity imaging showed some local aggregation of sensor particles, lifetime imaging showed a more homogeneous O2 distribution across a larger area of the coral colony. Local stimulation of symbiont photosynthesis in corals induced oxygenation of illuminated tissue areas and formation of lateral O2 gradients toward surrounding respiring tissues, which were dissipated rapidly after the onset of darkness. Such measurements are key to improving our understanding of how corals regulate their internal chemical microenvironment and metabolic activity, and how they are affected by environmental stress such as ocean warming, acidification, and deoxygenation. Our experimental approach can also be adapted for in vivo O2 imaging in other natural systems such as biofilms, plant and animal tissues, as well as in organoids and other cell constructs, where imaging internal O2 conditions are relevant and challenging due to high optical density and background fluorescence.

Live Microscopy of Multicellular Spheroids with the Multimodal Near-Infrared Nanoparticles Reveals Differences in Oxygenation Gradients.

Assessment of hypoxia, nutrients, metabolite gradients, and other hallmarks of the tumor microenvironment within 3D multicellular spheroid and organoid models represents a challenging analytical task. Here, we report red/near-infrared (NIR) emitting cell staining with O2-sensitive nanoparticles, which enable measurements of spheroid oxygenation on a conventional fluorescence microscope. Nanosensor probes, termed "MMIR" (multimodal infrared), incorporate an NIR O2-sensitive metalloporphyrin (PtTPTBPF) and deep red aza-BODIPY reference dyes within a biocompatible polymer shell, allowing for oxygen gradient quantification via fluorescence ratio and phosphorescence lifetime readouts. We optimized staining techniques and evaluated the nanosensor probe characteristics and cytotoxicity. Subsequently, we applied nanosensors to the live spheroid models based on HCT116, DPSCs, and SKOV3 cells, at rest, and treated with drugs affecting cell respiration. We found that the growth medium viscosity, spheroid size, and formation method influenced spheroid oxygenation. Some spheroids produced from HCT116 and dental pulp stem cells exhibited "inverted" oxygenation gradients, with higher core oxygen levels than the periphery. This contrasted with the frequently encountered "normal" gradient of hypoxia toward the core caused by diffusion. Further microscopy analysis of spheroids with an "inverted" gradient demonstrated metabolic stratification of cells within spheroids: thus, autofluorescence FLIM of NAD(P)H indicated the formation of a glycolytic core and localization of OxPhos-active cells at the periphery. Collectively, we demonstrate a strong potential of NIR-emitting ratiometric nanosensors for advanced microscopy studies targeting live and quantitative real-time monitoring of cell metabolism and hypoxia in complex 3D tissue models.

Tunable Self-Referenced Molecular Thermometers via Manipulation of Dual Emission in Platinum(II) Pyridinedipyrrolide Complexes.

Optical temperature sensors based on self-referenced readout schemes such as the emission ratio and the decay time are crucial for a wide range of applications, with the former often preferred due to simplicity of instrumentation. This work describes a new group of dually emitting dyes, platinum(II) pincer complexes, that can be used directly for ratiometric temperature sensing without an additional reference material. They consist of Pt(II) metal center surrounded by a pyridinedipyrrolide ligand (PDP) and a terminal ligand (benzonitrile, pyridine, 1-butylimidazol or carbon monoxide). Upon excitation with blue light, these complexes exhibit green to orange emission, with quantum yields in anoxic toluene at 25 °C ranging from 13% to 86% and decay times spanning from 8.5 to 97 µs. The emission is attributed to simultaneous thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) and phosphorescence processes on the basis of photophysical investigations and DFT calculations. Rather uniquely, simple manipulations in substituents of the PDP ligand and alteration of the terminal ligand allow fine-tuning of the ratio between TADF and phosphorescence from almost 100% TADF emission (Pt(MesPDPC6F5(BN)) to over 80% of phosphorescence (Pt(PhPDPPh(BuIm)). Apart from ratiometric capabilities, the complexes also are useful as decay time-based temperature indicators with temperature coefficients exceeding 1.5% K-1 in most cases. Immobilization of the dyes into oxygen-impermeable polyacrylonitrile produces temperature sensing materials that can be read out with an ordinary RGB camera or a smartphone. In addition, Pt(PhPDPPh)Py can be incorporated into biocompatible RL100 nanoparticles suitable for cellular nanothermometry, as we demonstrate with temperature measurements in multicellular colon cancer spheroids.

DMT1-dependent endosome-mitochondria interactions regulate mitochondrial iron translocation and metastatic outgrowth.

Transient early endosome (EE)-mitochondria interactions can mediate mitochondrial iron translocation, but the associated mechanisms are still elusive. We showed that Divalent Metal Transporter 1 (DMT1) sustains mitochondrial iron translocation via EE-mitochondria interactions in triple-negative MDA-MB-231, but not in luminal A T47D breast cancer cells. DMT1 silencing increases labile iron pool (LIP) levels and activates PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy in MDA-MB-231 cells. Mitochondrial bioenergetics and the iron-associated protein profile were altered by DMT1 silencing and rescued by DMT1 re-expression. Transcriptomic profiles upon DMT1 silencing are strikingly different between 2D and 3D culture conditions, suggesting that the environment context is crucial for the DMT1 knockout phenotype observed in MDA-MB-231 cells. Lastly, in vivo lung metastasis assay revealed that DMT1 silencing promoted the outgrowth of lung metastatic nodules in both human and murine models of triple-negative breast cancer cells. These findings reveal a DMT1-dependent pathway connecting EE-mitochondria interactions to mitochondrial iron translocation and metastatic fitness of breast cancer cells.

Influence of Fluorinated Substituents on the Near-Infrared Phosphorescence of 5d Metallocorroles.

The influence of fluorinated substituents on the luminescent properties of rhenium-oxo, osmium-nitrido, and gold triarylcorroles was studied via a comparison of four ligands: triphenylcorrole (TPC), tris(p-trifluoromethylphenyl)corrole (TpCF3PC), tris{3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl}corrole (T3,5-CF3PC), and tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole (TPFPC). For each metal series examined, fluorinated substituents were found to enhance the luminescent properties, with the phosphorescence quantum yields and triplet decay times increasing in the order TPC < TpCF3PC < T3,5-CF3PC < TPFPC. Among the 11 complexes examined, the highest phosphorescence quantum yield, 2.2%, was recorded for Re[TPFPC](O).

Expression of hypoxia-inducible genes is suppressed in altered gravity due to impaired nuclear HIF1α accumulation.

Extravehicular activities, the backbone of manned space exploration programs, set astronauts into mild hypoxia. Unfortunately, microgravity aggravates threatening symptoms of hypoxia such as vision impairment and brain edema. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) sense cellular hypoxia and, subsequently, change the cells' expression profile instantaneously by rapidly translocating-most likely cytoskeleton-dependently-into the nucleus and subsequently forming transcription complexes with other proteins. We tested the hypothesis that this fundamental process could be altered by sudden changes in gravitational forces in parabolic flights using a newly developed pocket-size cell culture lab that deoxygenizes cells within 15 min. Sudden gravity changes (SGCs 1g-1.8g-0g-1.8g-1g) during hypoxic exposure suppressed expression of the HIF1α-dependent genes investigated as compared with hypoxia at constant 1g. Normoxic cells subjected to SGCs showed reduced nuclear but not cytoplasmatic HIF1α signal and appeared to have disturbed cytoskeleton architecture. Inhibition of the actin-dependent intracellular transport using a combination of myosin V and VI inhibitors during hypoxia mimicked the suppression of the HIF1α-dependent genes observed during hypoxic exposure during SGCs. Thus, SGCs seem to disrupt the cellular response to hypoxia by impairing the actin-dependent translocation of HIF1α into the nucleus.

Morphology and Size of Bacterial Colonies Control Anoxic Microenvironment Formation in Porous Media.

Bacterial metabolisms using electron acceptors other than oxygen (e.g., methanogenesis and fermentation) largely contribute to element cycling and natural contaminant attenuation/mobilization, even in well-oxygenated porous environments, such as shallow aquifers. This paradox is commonly explained by the occurrence of small-scale anoxic microenvironments generated by the coupling of bacterial respiration and dissolved oxygen (O2) transport by pore water. Such microenvironments allow facultative anaerobic bacteria to proliferate in oxic environments. Microenvironment dynamics are still poorly understood due to the challenge of directly observing biomass and O2 distributions at the microscale within an opaque sediment matrix. To overcome these limitations, we integrated a microfluidic device with transparent O2 planar optical sensors to measure the temporal behavior of dissolved O2 concentrations and biomass distributions with time-lapse videomicroscopy. Our results reveal that bacterial colony morphology, which is highly variable in flowing porous systems, controls the formation of anoxic microenvironments. We rationalize our observations through a colony-scale Damköhler number comparing dissolved O2 diffusion and a bacterial O2 uptake rate. Our Damköhler number enables us to predict the pore space fraction occupied by anoxic microenvironments in our system for a given bacterial organization.

Optical Oxygen Sensors Show Reversible Cross-Talk and/or Degradation in the Presence of Nitrogen Dioxide.

A variety of luminescent dyes including the most common indicators for optical oxygen sensors were investigated in regard to their stability and photophysical properties in the presence of nitrogen dioxide. The dyes were immobilized in polystyrene and subjected to NO2 concentrations from 40 to 5500 ppm. The majority of dyes show fast degradation of optical properties due to the reaction with NO2. The class of phosphorescent metalloporphyrins shows the highest resistance against nitrogen dioxide. Among them, palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes of octasubstituted sulfonylated benzoporphyrins are identified as the most stable dyes with almost no decomposition in the presence of NO2. The phosphorescence of these dyes is reversibly quenched by nitrogen dioxide. Immobilized in various polymeric matrices, the sulfonylated Pt(II) benzoporphyrin demonstrates about one order of magnitude more efficient quenching by NO2 than by molecular oxygen. Our study demonstrates that virtually all commercially available and reported optical oxygen sensors are likely to show either irreversible decomposition in the presence of nitrogen dioxide or reversible luminescence quenching. They should be used with extreme caution if NO2 is present in relatively high concentrations or it may be generated from other species such as nitric oxide. As an important consequence of nearly anoxic systems, production of nitrogen dioxide or nitric oxide may be therefore erroneously interpreted as an increase in oxygen concentration.

In situ spatiotemporal solute imaging of metal corrosion on the example of magnesium.

Visualization and quantification of corrosion processes is essential in materials research. Here we present a new approach for 2D spatiotemporal imaging of metal corrosion dynamics in situ. The approach combines time-integrated Mg2+ flux imaging by diffusive gradients in thin films laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (DGT LA-ICP-MS) and near real-time pH imaging by planar optodes. The parallel assessment of Mg2+ flux and pH distributions on a fine-structured, bare Mg alloy (b-WE43) showed intense Mg dissolution with Mg2+ flux maxima up to 11.9 ng cm-2 s-1 and pH increase >9 during initial corrosion (≤15 min) in aqueous NaNO3 solution (c = 0.01 mol L-1). The techniques visualized the lower initial corrosion rate in buffered synthetic body fluid (Hank's balanced salt solution; pH 7.6) compared to unbuffered NaNO3 (pH 6.0), but precise localization of Mg corrosion remains challenging under these conditions. To further demonstrate the capability of DGT LA-ICP-MS for spatiotemporal metal flux imaging at the microscale, a coated Mg alloy (c-WE43) with lower reactivity was deployed for ≤120 min. The high spatial resolution (∼10 µm × 80 µm) and low limits of detection (≤0.04 ng cm-2 s-1, t = 60 min) enabled accurate in situ localization and quantification (Urel = 20%, k = 2) of distinct Mg2+ flux increase, showing micro-confined release of Mg2+ from surface coating defects on c-WE43 samples. The presented approach can be extended to other metal species and applied to other materials to better understand corrosion processes and improve material design in technological engineering.

Affordable Oxygen Microscopy-Assisted Biofabrication of Multicellular Spheroids.

Multicellular spheroids are important tools for studying tissue and cancer physiology in 3D and are frequently used in tissue engineering as tissue assembling units for biofabrication. While the main power of the spheroid model is in mimicking physical-chemical gradients at the tissue microscale, the real physiological environment (including dynamics of metabolic activity, oxygenation, cell death, and proliferation) inside the spheroids is generally ignored. At the same time, the effects of the growth medium composition and the formation method on the resulting spheroid phenotype are well documented. Thus, characterization and standardization of spheroid phenotype are required to ensure the reproducibility and transparency of the research results. The analysis of average spheroid oxygenation and the value of O2 gradients in three dimensions (3D) can be a simple and universal way for spheroid phenotype characterization, pointing at their metabolic activity, overall viability, and potential to recapitulate in vivo tissue microenvironment. The visualization of 3D oxygenation can be easily combined with multiparametric analysis of additional physiological parameters (such as cell death, proliferation, and cell composition) and applied for continuous oxygenation monitoring and/or end-point measurements. The loading of the O2 probe is performed during the stage of spheroid formation and is compatible with various protocols of spheroid generation. The protocol includes a high-throughput method of spheroid generation with introduced red and near-infrared emitting ratiometric fluorescent O2 nanosensors and the description of multi-parameter assessment of spheroid oxygenation and cell death before and after bioprinting. The experimental examples show comparative O2 gradients analysis in homo- and hetero-cellular spheroids as well as spheroid-based bioprinted constructs. The protocol is compatible with a conventional fluorescence microscope having multiple fluorescence filters and a light-emitting diode as a light source.

Vapochromism and Magnetochemical Switching of a Nickel(II) Paddlewheel Complex by Reversible NH3 Uptake and Release.

Reaction of [NiCl2 (PnH)4 ] (1) (PnH=6-tert-butyl-pyridazine-3-thione) with NiCl2 affords the binuclear paddlewheel (PW) complex [Ni2 (Pn)4 ] (2). Diamagnetic complex 2 is the first example of a PW complex capable of reversibly binding and releasing NH3 . The NH3 ligand in [Ni2 (Pn)4 (NH3 )] (2⋅NH3 ) enforces major spectroscopic and magnetic susceptibility changes, thus displaying vapochromic properties (λmax (2)=532 nm, λmax (2⋅NH3 )=518 nm) and magnetochemical switching (2: S=0; 2⋅NH3 : S=1). Upon repeated adsorption/desorption cycles of NH3 the PW core remains intact. Compound 2 can be embedded into thin polyurethane films (2P ) under retention of its sensing abilities. Therefore, 2 qualifies as reversible optical probe for ammonia. The magnetochemical switching of 2 and 2⋅NH3 was studied in detail by SQUID measurements showing that in 2⋅NH3 , solely the Ni atom coordinated the NH3 molecule is responsible for the paramagnetic behavior.

Mechanism of mediated alkali peroxide oxidation and triplet versus singlet oxygen formation.

Aprotic alkali metal-O2 batteries face two major obstacles to their chemistry occurring efficiently, the insulating nature of the formed alkali superoxides/peroxides and parasitic reactions that are caused by the highly reactive singlet oxygen (1O2). Redox mediators are recognized to be key for improving rechargeability. However, it is unclear how they affect 1O2 formation, which hinders strategies for their improvement. Here we clarify the mechanism of mediated peroxide and superoxide oxidation and thus explain how redox mediators either enhance or suppress 1O2 formation. We show that charging commences with peroxide oxidation to a superoxide intermediate and that redox potentials above ~3.5 V versus Li/Li+ drive 1O2 evolution from superoxide oxidation, while disproportionation always generates some 1O2. We find that 1O2 suppression requires oxidation to be faster than the generation of 1O2 from disproportionation. Oxidation rates decrease with growing driving force following Marcus inverted-region behaviour, establishing a region of maximum rate.

Everlasting rhodamine dyes and true deciding factors in their STED microscopy performance.

The authors took an independent and closer look at the family of red-emitting rhodamine dyes known for a decade due to their excellent performance in STED microscopy. After the family was further extended, the true grounds of this performance became clear. Small-molecule protective agents and/or auxiliary groups were attached at two different sites of the dye's scaffold. Thus, a rhodamine core, which is already quite photostable as it is, and an intramolecular stabilizer - a 4-nitrobenzyl or a 4-nitrobenzylthio group were combined to give potentially "everlasting dyes". The fluorescence quantum yields (Φf) and the fluorescence lifetimes (τ) of the modified dyes were thoroughly measured with comparison to those of the parent dyes. The correlation of their STED performance with photostability and fluorescence color stability under illumination in water were explored. Unexpectedly, the anaerobic GSDIM (GOC) buffer proved unhelpful with respect to STED performance. It was demonstrated that, even dyes with a Φf of only 14-17% allow STED imaging with a sufficient photon budget and good signal-to-noise ratio. For the dyes with photostabilizing groups (PSG) the Φf values are 4-5 times lower than in the reference dyes, and lifetimes τ are also strongly reduced. Noteworthy are very high fluorescence color stability and constant or even increasing fluorescence signal under photobleaching in bulk aqueous solutions, which suggests a sacrificing role of the 4-nitrobenzyl-containing moieties. Straightforward and improved recipes for "last-minute" modifications and preparations of "self-healing" red-emitting fluorescent tags are described.

Optical Sensing and Imaging of pH Values: Spectroscopies, Materials, and Applications.

This is the first comprehensive review on methods and materials for use in optical sensing of pH values and on applications of such sensors. The Review starts with an introduction that contains subsections on the definition of the pH value, a brief look back on optical methods for sensing of pH, on the effects of ionic strength on pH values and pKa values, on the selectivity, sensitivity, precision, dynamic ranges, and temperature dependence of such sensors. Commonly used optical sensing schemes are covered in a next main chapter, with subsections on methods based on absorptiometry, reflectometry, luminescence, refractive index, surface plasmon resonance, photonic crystals, turbidity, mechanical displacement, interferometry, and solvatochromism. This is followed by sections on absorptiometric and luminescent molecular probes for use pH in sensors. Further large sections cover polymeric hosts and supports, and methods for immobilization of indicator dyes. Further and more specific sections summarize the state of the art in materials with dual functionality (indicator and host), nanomaterials, sensors based on upconversion and 2-photon absorption, multiparameter sensors, imaging, and sensors for extreme pH values. A chapter on the many sensing formats has subsections on planar, fiber optic, evanescent wave, refractive index, surface plasmon resonance and holography based sensor designs, and on distributed sensing. Another section summarizes selected applications in areas, such as medicine, biology, oceanography, bioprocess monitoring, corrosion studies, on the use of pH sensors as transducers in biosensors and chemical sensors, and their integration into flow-injection analyzers, microfluidic devices, and lab-on-a-chip systems. An extra section is devoted to current challenges, with subsections on challenges of general nature and those of specific nature. A concluding section gives an outlook on potential future trends and perspectives.

Fatty acids as biomimetic replication agents for luminescent metal-organic framework patterns.

Luminescent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are known to spontaneously self-assemble on human fingerprints. Here, we investigate the different chemical components of fingerprints and determine that MOF growth is predominantly induced by insoluble fatty acids. This finding shows that these simple biomolecules can be employed for the precise positioning of luminescent MOFs.

Correction to: Use of an oxygen planar optode to assess the effect of high velocity microsprays on oxygen penetration in a human dental biofilms in-vitro.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Use of an oxygen planar optode to assess the effect of high velocity microsprays on oxygen penetration in a human dental biofilms in-vitro.

BACKGROUND: Dental plaque biofilms are the causative agents of caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. Both mechanical and chemical strategies are used in routine oral hygiene strategies to reduce plaque build-up. If allowed to mature biofilms can create anoxic microenvironments leading to communities which harbor pathogenic Gram-negative anaerobes. When subjected to high velocity fluid jets and sprays biofilms can be fluidized which disrupts the biofilm structure and allows the more efficient delivery of antimicrobial agents. METHODS: To investigate how such jets may disrupt anoxic niches in the biofilm, we used planar optodes to measure the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration at the base of in-vitro biofilms grown from human saliva and dental plaque. These biofilms were subject to "shooting" treatments with a commercial high velocity microspray (HVM) device. RESULTS: HVM treatment resulted in removal of much of the biofilm and a concurrent rapid shift from anoxic to oxic conditions at the base of the surrounding biofilm. We also assessed the impact of HVM treatment on the microbial community by tracking 7 target species by qPCR. There was a general reduction in copy numbers of the universal 16S RNA by approximately 95%, and changes of individual species in the target region ranged from approximately 1 to 4 log reductions. CONCLUSION: We concluded that high velocity microsprays removed a sufficient amount of biofilm to disrupt the anoxic region at the biofilm-surface interface.

Amphiphilic Rhenium-Oxo Corroles as a New Class of Sensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy.

A set of rhenium(V)-oxo meso-triarylcorroles bearing ester and carboxylic acid functionalities were synthesized with a view to determining their potential for photodynamic therapy. Toward this end, we measured their near-IR phosphorescence and their ability to sensitize singlet oxygen formation. The two esters studied, ReVO 5,10,15-tris(meta-carbomethoxyphenyl)corrole and ReVO 5,10,15-tris(para-carbomethoxyphenyl)corrole, were found to exhibit phosphorescence quantum yields of around 1% and fairly long phosphorescence lifetimes of about 60 µs in toluene. The corresponding carboxylic acids, which were examined in ethanolic/aqueous media, in contrast, showed much lower phosphorescence quantum yields on the order of 0.01% and somewhat shorter phosphorescent lifetimes. The quantum yields for singlet oxygen formation, on the other hand, turned out to be equally high (0.72 ± 0.02) for the esters and corresponding carboxylic acids. For the two carboxylic acids, we also carried out photocytotoxicity measurements on rat bladder cancer cells (AY27) and human colon carcinoma cells (WiDr). Cell viability measurements (MTT assays) indicated 50% cell death (LD50) for AY27 cells upon 5 min of blue light exposure with the meta carboxylic acid and upon 7 min of exposure with the para carboxylic acid; complete cell death resulted after 20 min for both compounds. The WiDr cells proved less sensitive, and LD50 values were reached after 8 and 12 min illumination with the meta and para carboxylic acids, respectively.