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Understanding the effects of substituents on spectral properties is essential for the rational design of tailored bacteriochlorins for light-harvesting and other applications. Toward this goal, three new bacteriochlorins containing previously unexplored conjugating substituents have been prepared and characterized. The conjugating substituents include two positively charged species, 2-(N-ethyl 2-quinolinium)vinyl- (B-1) and 2-(N-ethyl 4-pyridinium)vinyl- (B-2), and a neutral group, acroleinyl- (B-3); the charged species resemble cyanine (or styryl) dye motifs whereas the neutral unit resembles a merocyanine dye motif. The three bacteriochlorins are examined by static and time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy and density functional theoretical calculations. B-1 and B-2 have Qy absorption bathochromically shifted well into the NIR region (822 and 852 nm), farther than B-3 (793 nm) and other 3,13-disubstituted bacteriochlorins studied previously. B-1 and B-2 have broad Qy absorption and fluorescence features with large peak separation (Stokes shift), low fluorescence yields, and shortened S1 (Qy ) excited-state lifetimes (~700 ps and ~100 ps). More typical spectra and S1 lifetime (~2.3 ns) are found for B-3. The combined photophysical and molecular-orbital characteristics suggest the altered spectra and enhanced nonradiative S1 decay of B-1 and B-2 derive from excited-state configurations in which electron density is shifted between the macrocycle and the substituents.

Six new bacteriochlorins expanding the range of the strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption (Qy band) to both shorter and longer wavelengths (∼690 to ∼900 nm) have been synthesized and characterized. The architectures include bacteriochlorin-bisimides that have six-membered imide rings spanning the 3,5- and 13,15-macrocycle positions or five-membered imide rings spanning the β-pyrrolic 2,3- and 12,13-positions. Both bisimide types absorb at significantly longer wavelength than the bacteriochlorin precursors (no fused rings), whereas oxo-groups at the 7- or 7,17-positions shift the Qy band to a new short wavelength limit. Surprisingly, bacteriochlorin-bisimides with five-membered β-pyrrolic-centered imide rings have a Qy band closer to that of six-membered bacteriochlorin-monoimides. However, the five-membered bisimides (versus the six-membered bacteriochlorin-monoimides) have significantly enhanced absorption intensity that is paralleled by an ∼2-fold higher fluorescence yield (∼0.16 vs ∼0.07) and longer singlet excited-state lifetime (∼4 ns vs ∼2 ns). The photophysical enhancements derive in part from mixing of the lowest unoccupied frontier molecular orbitals of the five-membered imide ring with those of the bacteriochlorin framework. In general, all of the new bacteriochlorins have excited-state lifetimes (1-4 ns) that are sufficiently long for use in molecular-based systems for photochemical applications.

Bacteriochlorins are attractive candidates as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to their intense absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the spectrum where light transmission through tissue is maximal. Many naturally occurring bacteriochlorins are inherently unstable due to adventitious atmospheric oxidation. A de novo synthesis affords bacteriochlorins that contain a geminal dimethyl group in each reduced pyrrole ring to increase stability against oxidation. Here, three new synthetic bacteriochlorins, each bearing a single side-chain containing one or two positive charges, were investigated for their in vitro PDT activity against HeLa human cancer cells. All bacteriochlorins were active at low nanomolar concentration when activated with NIR light; those bearing a single positive charge exhibited faster uptake and higher activity. The bacteriochlorins were localized in mitochondria, lysosomes and endoplasmic reticulum as shown by organelle specific fluorescent probes. Cell death was via apoptosis as shown by cell morphology and nuclear condensation. Taken together, the results show the importance of appropriate peripheral groups about a photosensitizer for effective PDT applications.

Bacteriochlorins, which are tetrapyrrole macrocycles with two reduced pyrrole rings, are Nature's near-infrared (NIR) absorbers (700-900 nm). The strong absorption in the NIR region renders bacteriochlorins excellent candidates for a variety of applications including solar light harvesting, flow cytometry, molecular imaging, and photodynamic therapy. Natural bacteriochlorins are inherently unstable due to oxidative conversion to the chlorin (one reduced pyrrole ring) or the porphyrin. The natural pigments are also only modestly amenable to synthetic manipulation, owing to a nearly full complement of substituents on the macrocycle. Recently, a new synthetic methodology has afforded access to stable synthetic bacteriochlorins wherein a wide variety of substituents can be appended to the macrocycle at preselected locations. Herein, the spectroscopic and photophysical properties of 33 synthetic bacteriochlorins are investigated. The NIR absorption bands of the chromophores range from ∼700 to ∼820 nm; the lifetimes of the lowest excited singlet state range from ∼2 to ∼6 ns; the fluorescence quantum yields range from ∼0.05 to ∼0.25; and the yield of the lowest triplet excited state is ∼0.5. The spectroscopic/photophysical studies of the bacteriochlorins are accompanied by density functional theory (DFT) calculations that probe the characteristics of the frontier molecular orbitals. The DFT calculations indicate that the impact of substituents on the spectral properties of the molecules derives primarily from effects on the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. Collectively, the studies show how the palette of synthetic bacteriochlorins extends the properties of the native photosynthetic pigments (bacteriochlorophylls). The studies have also elucidated design principles for tuning the spectral and photophysical characteristics as required for a wide variety of photochemical applications.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a rapidly developing approach to treating cancer that combines harmless visible and near-infrared light with a nontoxic photoactivatable dye, which upon encounter with molecular oxygen generates the reactive oxygen species that are toxic to cancer cells. Bacteriochlorins are tetrapyrrole compounds with two reduced pyrrole rings in the macrocycle. These molecules are characterized by strong absorption features from 700 to >800 nm, which enable deep penetration into tissue. This report describes testing of 12 new stable synthetic bacteriochlorins for PDT activity. The 12 compounds possess a variety of peripheral substituents and are very potent in killing cancer cells in vitro after illumination. Quantitative structure–activity relationships were derived, and subcellular localization was determined. The most active compounds have both low dark toxicity and high phototoxicity. This combination together with near-infrared absorption gives these bacteriochlorins great potential as photosensitizers for treatment of cancer.

Cutaneous malignant melanoma remains a therapeutic challenge, and patients with advanced disease have limited survival. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been successfully used to treat many malignancies, and it may show promise as an antimelanoma modality. However, high melanin levels in melanomas can adversely affect PDT effectiveness. Herein the extent of melanin contribution to melanoma resistance to PDT was investigated in a set of melanoma cell lines that markedly differ in the levels of pigmentation; 3 new bacteriochlorins successfully overcame the resistance. Cell killing studies determined that bacteriochlorins are superior at (LD50≈0.1 μM) when compared with controls such as the FDA-approved Photofrin (LD50≈10 μM) and clinically tested LuTex (LD50≈1 μM). The melanin content affects PDT effectiveness, but the degree of reduction is significantly lower for bacteriochlorins than for Photofrin. Microscopy reveals that the least effective bacteriochlorin localizes predominantly in lysosomes, while the most effective one preferentially accumulates in mitochondria. Interestingly all bacteriochlorins accumulate in melanosomes, and subsequent illumination leads to melanosomal damage shown by electron microscopy. Fluorescent probes show that the most effective bacteriochlorin produces significantly higher levels of hydroxyl radicals, and this is consistent with the redox properties suggested by molecular-orbital calculations. The best in vitro performing bacteriochlorin was tested in vivo in a mouse melanoma model using spectrally resolved fluorescence imaging and provided significant survival advantage with 20% of cures (P

Chlorins bearing a six-membered imide ring spanning positions 13-15, commonly referred to as purpurinimides, exhibit long-wavelength absorption yet have heretofore only been available via semisynthesis from naturally occurring chlorophylls. A concise route to synthetic chlorins, which bear a geminal dimethyl group in the pyrroline ring, has been extended to provide access to chlorin-13,15-dicarboximides. The new route entails (i) synthesis of a 13-bromochlorin, (ii) palladium-catalyzed carbamoylation at the 13-position, (iii) regioselective 15-bromination under acidic conditions, and (iv) one-flask palladium-mediated carbonylation and ring closure to form the imide. In some cases the ring closure reaction afforded the isomeric (and readily separable) chlorin-isoimide in addition to the chlorin-imide. The resulting chlorin-imides and chlorin-isoimides exhibit long-wavelength absorption (679-715 nm) and emission (683-720 nm) in the far-red and near-infrared spectral region. The absorption of the chlorin-(iso)imides fills the spectral window between that of analogous synthetic chlorins and 13(1)-oxophorbines (603-687 nm) and bacteriochlorins (707-792 nm). The synthetic versatility of the de novo route complements the existing semisynthetic route from chlorophylls and should enable fundamental spectroscopic studies and photochemical applications.

Efficient light harvesting for molecular-based solar-conversion systems requires absorbers that span the photon-rich red and near-infrared (NIR) regions of the solar spectrum. Reported herein are the photophysical properties of a set of six chlorin-imides and nine synthetic chlorin analogues that extend the absorption deeper (624–714 nm) into these key spectral regions. These absorbers help bridge the gap between typical chlorins and bacteriochlorins. The new compounds have high fluorescence quantum yields (0.15–0.34) and long singlet excited-state lifetimes (4.2–10.9 ns). The bathochromic shift in Qy absorption is driven by substituent-based stabilization of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, with the largest shifts for chlorins that bear an electron-withdrawing, conjugative group at the 3-position in combination with a 13,15-imide ring.

Bacteriochlorins are attractive candidates as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to their intense absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the spectrum where light transmission through tissue is maximal. Many naturally occurring bacteriochlorins are inherently unstable due to adventitious atmospheric oxidation. A de novo synthesis affords bacteriochlorins that contain a geminal dimethyl group in each reduced pyrrole ring to increase stability against oxidation. Here, three new synthetic bacteriochlorins, each bearing a single side-chain containing one or two positive charges, were investigated for their in vitro PDT activity against HeLa human cancer cells. All bacteriochlorins were active at low nanomolar concentration when activated with NIR light; those bearing a single positive charge exhibited faster uptake and higher activity. The bacteriochlorins were localized in mitochondria, lysosomes and endoplasmic reticulum as shown by organelle specific fluorescent probes. Cell death was via apoptosis as shown by cell morphology and nuclear condensation. Taken together, the results show the importance of appropriate peripheral groups about a photosensitizer for effective PDT applications.

Photodynamic inactivation is a rapidly developing antimicrobial treatment that employs a nontoxic photoactivatable dye or photosensitizer in combination with harmless visible light to generate reactive oxygen species that are toxic to cells. Tetrapyrroles (e.g., porphyrins, chlorins, bacteriochlorins) are a class of photosensitizers that exhibit promising characteristics to serve as broad-spectrum antimicrobials. In order to bind to and efficiently penetrate into all classes of microbial cells, tetrapyrroles should have structures that contain (i) one or more cationic charge(s) or (ii) a basic group. In this report, we investigate the use of new stable synthetic bacteriochlorins that have a strong absorption band in the range 720 to 740 nm, which is in the near-infrared spectral region. Four bacteriochlorins with 2, 4, or 6 quaternized ammonium groups or 2 basic amine groups were compared for light-mediated killing against a Gram-positive bacterium ( Staphylococcus aureus ), a Gram-negative bacterium ( Escherichia coli ), and a dimorphic fungal yeast ( Candida albicans ). Selectivity was assessed by determining phototoxicity against human HeLa cancer cells under the same conditions. All four compounds were highly active (6 logs of killing at 1 μM or less) against S. aureus and showed selectivity for bacteria over human cells. Increasing the cationic charge increased activity against E. coli . Only the compound with basic groups was highly active against C. albicans. Supporting photochemical and theoretical characterization studies indicate that (i) the four bacteriochlorins have comparable photophysical features in homogeneous solution and (ii) the anticipated redox characteristics do not correlate with cell-killing ability. These results support the interpretation that the disparate biological activities observed stem from cellular binding and localization effects rather than intrinsic electronic properties. These findings further establish cationic bacteriochlorins as extremely active and selective near-infrared activated antimicrobial photosensitizers, and the results provide fundamental information on structure-activity relationships for antimicrobial photosensitizers.

Bacteriochlorins are attractive candidates for a wide variety of photochemical studies owing to their strong absorption in the near-infrared spectral region. The prior acid-catalysis conditions [BF(3) x O(Et)(2) in CH(3)CN at room temperature] for self-condensation of a dihydrodipyrrin-acetal (bearing a geminal dimethyl group in the pyrroline ring) typically afforded a mixture of three macrocycles: the expected 5-methoxybacteriochlorin (MeOBC-type), a 5-unsubstituted bacteriochlorin (HBC-type), and a free base B,D-tetradehydrocorrin (TDC-type). Here, a broad survey of >20 acids identified four promising acid catalysis conditions of which TMSOTf/2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine in CH(2)Cl(2) at room temperature was most attractive owing to formation of the 5-methoxybacteriochlorin as the sole macrocycle regardless of the pyrrolic substituents in the dihydrodipyrrin-acetal (electron-withdrawing, electron-donating, or no substituent). Eleven new dihydrodipyrrin-acetals were prepared following standard routes. Application of the new acid catalysis conditions has afforded diverse bacteriochlorins (e.g., bearing alkyl/ester, aryl/ester, diester, and no substituents) in a few days from commercially available starting materials. Consideration of the synthetic steps and yields for formation of the dihydrodipyrrin-acetal and bacteriochlorin underpins evaluation of synthetic plans for early installation of bacteriochlorin substituents via the dihydrodipyrrin-acetal versus late installation via derivatization of beta-bromobacteriochlorins. Treatment of the 5-methoxybacteriochlorins with NBS gave regioselective 15-bromination when no pyrrolic substituents were present or when each pyrrole contained two substituents; on the other hand, the presence of a beta-ethoxycarbonyl group caused loss of regioselectivity. The 15 new bacteriochlorins prepared herein exhibit a long-wavelength absorption band in the range 707-759 nm, providing tunable access to the near-infrared region. Taken together, this study expands the scope of available bacteriochlorins for fundamental studies and diverse applications.

Bacteriochlorins are attractive candidates for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of diverse medical indications owing to their strong absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region, but their use has been stymied by lack of access to stable, synthetically malleable molecules. To overcome these limitations, a synthetic free base 3,13-dibromobacteriochlorin (BC-Br(3)Br(13)) has been exploited as a building block in the synthesis of diverse bacteriochlorins via Pd-mediated coupling reactions (Sonogashira, Suzuki, and reductive carbonylation). Each bacteriochlorin is stable to adventitious dehydrogenation by virtue of the presence of a geminal dimethyl group in each pyrroline ring. The target bacteriochlorins bear cationic, lipophilic, or amphipathic substituents at the 3- and 13- (beta-pyrrolic) positions. A dicarboxybacteriochlorin was converted to amide derivatives via the intermediate diacid chloride. A diformylbacteriochlorin was subjected to reductive amination to give aminomethyl derivatives. A set of 3,5-disubstituted aryl groups bearing lipophilic or amphipathic groups was introduced via Suzuki coupling. Altogether 22 free base bacteriochlorins have been prepared. Eight aminoalkylbacteriochlorins were quaternized with methyl iodide at two or four amine sites per molecule, which resulted in water solubility. Each bacteriochlorin exhibits a Q(y) absorption band in the range of 720-772 nm. The ability to introduce a wide variety of peripheral functional groups makes these bacteriochlorins attractive candidates for diverse applications in photomedicine including PDT in the NIR region.

The challenge of creating both pigment building blocks and scaffolding to organize a large number of such pigments has long constituted a central impediment to the construction of artificial light-harvesting architectures. Light-harvesting (LH) antennas in photosynthetic bacteria are formed in a two-tiered self-assembly process wherein (1) a peptide dyad containing two bacteriochlorophyll a molecules forms, and (2) the dyads associate to form cyclic oligomers composed of 8 or 9 dyads in LH2 and 15 or 16 in LH1 of purple photosynthetic bacteria. While such antenna systems generally have near-quantitative transfer of excitation energy among pigments, only a fraction of the solar spectrum is typically absorbed. A platform architecture for study of light-harvesting phenomena has been developed that employs native photosynthetic peptide analogs, native bacteriochlorophyll a, and synthetic near-infrared-absorbing bacteriochlorins. Herein, the syntheses of 10 lipophilic bacteriochlorins are reported, of which 7 contain bioconjugatable handles (maleimide, iodoacetamide, formyl, carboxylic acid) for attachment to the peptide chassis. The bioconjugatable bacteriochlorins typically exhibit a long-wavelength absorption band in the range 710 to 820 nm, fluorescence yield of 0.1–0.2, and lifetime of the lowest singlet excited state of 2–5 ns. The α-helical structure of the native-like peptide is retained upon conjugation with a synthetic bacteriochlorin, as judged by single-reflection infrared studies. Static and time-resolved optical studies of the oligomeric biohybrid architectures in aqueous detergent solution reveal efficient (∼90%) excitation energy transfer from the attached bacteriochlorin to the native-like bacteriochlorophyll a sites. The biohybrid light-harvesting architectures thus exploit the self-constituting features of the natural systems yet enable versatile incorporation of members from a palette of synthetic chromophores, thereby opening the door to a wide variety of studies in artificial photosynthesis.