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Fluorescent Imidazo[1,2‐ a ]pyrimidine Compounds as Biocompatible Organic Photosensitizers that Generate Singlet Oxygen: A Potential Tool for Phototheranostics
Author(s) -
Lima Maria L. S. O.,
Braga Carolyne B.,
Becher Tiago B.,
OdriozolaGimeno Mikel,
TorrentSucarrat Miquel,
Rivilla Iván,
Cossío Fernando P.,
Marsaioli Anita J.,
Ornelas Catia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.202004957
Subject(s) - singlet oxygen , photodynamic therapy , biocompatible material , photochemistry , pyrimidine , chemistry , fluorescence , cytotoxicity , intracellular , combinatorial chemistry , reactive oxygen species , oxygen , biophysics , organic chemistry , biochemistry , in vitro , biomedical engineering , biology , medicine , physics , quantum mechanics
Photodynamic therapy has been used to treat a variety of diseases, however, there is continuing search for new biocompatible photosensitizers. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that imidazo[1,2‐ a ]pyrimidine compounds are able to generate singlet oxygen species and can act as photosensitizers in the intracellular environment. Our results show that this class of compounds absorb and emit in the 400–500 nm region, present low cytotoxicity in the dark, are efficiently uptaken by cells, are fluorescent in intracellular medium, and generate singlet oxygen upon irradiation, killing cancer cells within 2 h at low concentration (2.0 μ m ). The imidazo[1,2‐ a ]pyrimidine compounds are a potential new tool for phototheranostics, because they can be simultaneously used for fluorescence imaging and photodynamic therapy.