Ground- and excited-state interactions of 2,7,12,17-tetraphenylporphycene with model target biomolecules for type-I photodynamic therapy

Abstract

Biosubstrate-sensitizer binding is one of the factors that enhances the type-I mechanism over the type-II in the whole photodynamic process. 2,7,12,17-Tetraphenylporphycene (TPPo), a second-generation photosensitizer, is a hydrophobic compound with good photophysical properties for photodynamic therapy applications that has proved its ability for the photoinactivation of different cell lines. Nevertheless, little is known about its mechanism of action. This paper focuses on the study of the interaction/binding of TPPo with different model biomolecules that may favor the type-I mechanism in the overall photodynamic process, including nucleosides, proteins, and phospholipids. Compared with more hydrophilic photosensitizers, it is concluded that TPPo is more likely to undergo type-II (singlet oxygen) than type-I (electron transfer) photodynamic processes in biological environments.