Synthesis, aggregation, and photophysical properties of amphiphilic BODIPY-Pt(II) metallacycles

Abstract

The construction of metallo-organic macrocycles using transition metals and optoelectronically active donor ligands is a very active area of research due to the potential applicability of these structures as sensors or as drugs for combined photodynamic/chemotherapy treatments. Herein, we report on the synthesis, photophysical properties, and aggregation behavior of a triangular Pt(II)-assembled metallo-supramolecular complex built by the coordination-driven assembly of a BODIPY functionalized with two pyridines at the 2,6 positions and an (R, R)-phenylalanine dipeptide moiety in the meso position. This hydrophilic group provides the metallacycle with water-solubility and self-assembly capabilities, which result in the formation of robust nanoparticles in aqueous solutions with a 50 nm average size.