Highly Efficient and Photostable Photosensitizer Based on BODIPY Chromophore

TLDR

Photosensitizers generate reactive oxygen species upon illumination and are widely used for oxidative stress studies and photodynamic therapy, yet many suffer from low photostability, structural instability, or limited solvent compatibility. This work aims to develop a novel photosensitizer scaffold, 2I‑BDP, that exploits the BODIPY chromophore’s high extinction coefficient, photostability, and solvent insensitivity. The 2I‑BDP scaffold is constructed around the BODIPY core, conferring a high extinction coefficient, exceptional photostability, and insensitivity to both lipophilic and aqueous environments. 2I‑BDP exhibits stronger near‑infrared singlet‑oxygen luminescence and greater photostability than Rose Bengal, works across diverse solvent conditions, and successfully photosensitizes HeLa cells, highlighting its potential for cellular photosensitization, oxidative‑stress assays, and photodynamic therapy.

Abstract

Photosensitizers are reagents that produce reactive oxygen species upon light illumination and are commonly used to study oxidative stress or for photodynamic therapy. There are many available photosensitizers, but most have limitations, such as low photostability, structural instability, or a limited usable range of solvent conditions. Here, we describe a novel photosensitizer scaffold (2I-BDP) based on the unique characteristics of the BODIPY chromophore (i.e., high extinction coefficient, high photostability, and insensitivity to solvent environment). 2I-BDP shows stronger near-infrared singlet oxygen luminescence emission and higher photostability than the well-known photosensitizer, Rose Bengal. Unlike other photosensitizers, this scaffold is widely applicable under various conditions, including lipophilic and aqueous environments. HeLa cells loaded with 2I-BDP could be photosensitized by light illumination, demonstrating that 2I-BDP is potentially useful as a reagent for cell photosensitization, oxidative stress studies, or PDT.