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A series of zinc azaphthalocyanines with two azacrowns in a rigid tweezer arrangement were prepared and the fluorescence sensing properties were investigated. The size-driven recognition of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations was significantly enhanced by the close cooperation of the two azacrown units, in which both donor nitrogen atoms need to be involved in analyte binding to switch the sensor on. The mono- or biphasic character of the binding isotherms, together with the binding stoichiometry and magnitude of association constants (KA ), indicated specific complexation of particular analytes. Water solvation was shown to play an important role and resulted in a strong quenching of sensor fluorescence in the ON state. The lead compound was embedded into silica nanoparticles and advantageous sensing properties towards K(+) were demonstrated in water (λF =671 nm, apparent KA =82 m(-1) , increase of 17×), even in the presence of (supra)physiological concentrations of Na(+) and Ca(2+) ., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines (TPyzPzs) bearing one, two, four or eight 3,5-di(tert-butyl)-4-hydroxyphenol moieties were synthesized as zinc(II) complexes and metal-free derivatives. The deprotonation of the phenol using tetrabutylammonium hydroxide induced the formation of a strong donor for intramolecular charge transfer that switched OFF the red fluorescence (λF ∼660 nm) of the parent zinc TPyzPzs. The changes were fully reversible for TPyzPzs with one to four phenolic moieties, and an irreversible modification was observed for TPyzPzs substituted with eight phenols. The sensors were anchored to lipophilic particles in water, and a pKa approximately 12.5-12.7 was determined for the phenolic hydroxyl based on fluorescence changes in different buffers. In addition, a novel concept for fluorescence OFF-ON-OFF switching in metal-free TPyzPzs bearing phenolic moieties upon addition of specific amounts of base was demonstrated., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A series of zinc complexes of phthalocyanine, naphthalocyanine and their aza-analogues with alkylsulfanyl substituents was synthesized and characterized by UV-vis and MCD spectroscopy, and their redox properties were investigated using CV, DPV, and SWV approaches as well as spectroelectrochemical methods. Aggregation, photostability, singlet oxygen production, and fluorescence quantum yields of the target complexes were studied as a function of the stepwise substitution of the aromatic C-H fragments by nitrogen atoms. The electronic structure and vertical excitation energies of the target compounds were probed by DFT-PCM and TDDFT-PCM approaches. Introduction of additional nitrogens into the structure leads to a hypsochromic shift of the Q-band and makes the macrocycle strongly electron deficient and more photostable. The impact on the photophysics is limited. The relationships between the type of macrocycle and the studied properties were defined.

A synthesis procedure for heteroatom-substituted tetra(3,4-pyrido)porphyrazines that absorb light near 800 nm was developed. Based on the observed relationships between the structure and photophysical parameters, a novel highly photodynamically active (IC50 = 0.26 μM) compound was synthesized and biologically characterized.

The intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), which is a pathway for excited state relaxation, was studied on the newly synthesized zinc(ii) complexes of tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines bearing one fixed donor (i.e., a dialkylamino substituent). The rest of the peripheral substituents on the core was designed with respect to their different electronic effects (OBu, neopentyl, StBu, COOBu). The photophysical (singlet oxygen and fluorescence quantum yields) and electrochemical (reduction potentials) properties were determined and compared within the series and with compounds that did not contain a donor moiety. The ICT efficiency correlated well with both the electron-deficient character of the core and the Hammett substituent constants σp. The most efficient ICT was observed for the core with the most electron-accepting substituent (COOBu), and the lowest ICT efficiency was detected for the least electron-deficient core (substituted by OBu). Titration of DMSO solutions of target compounds with H2SO4 indicated that basicity of the azomethine bridges was largely influenced by the character of the peripheral substituents while the dialkylamino donor center remained nearly unaffected. Furthermore, protonation of the donor nitrogen caused partial restoration of the fluorescence quantum yield (increase up to 90 times) due to blocking of ICT. The results implied that the ICT efficiency was strongly dependent on the electron-accepting properties of the core whose properties can be readily affected by suitable selection of peripheral substituents.

Novel zinc, magnesium, and metal-free octasubstituted phthalocyanine photosensitizers bearing [(triethylammonio)ethyl]sulfanyl substituents in the peripheral or nonperipheral positions were synthesized and investigated for their photophysical properties (ΦΔ value up to 0.91, λmax up to 750 nm) and photodynamic anticancer activity. The photodynamic treatment of 3T3, HeLa, SK-MEL-28, and HCT 116 cancer cells revealed that the magnesium complexes were not active (IC50 > 100 μM), whereas the IC50 values of the zinc complexes typically reached values in the submicromolar range with low toxicity in the dark (TC50 ≈ 1500 μM). The subcellular changes upon photodynamic treatment of the HeLa cells indicated that the studied photosensitizers induced damage primarily to the lysosomes, which was followed by a relocalization and damage to other organelles. The time-lapse morphological changes along with the flow cytometry and caspase activity measurements indicated a predominant involvement of necrosis-like cell death.

A series of unsymmetrical tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines (TPyzPzs) from the group of azaphthalocyanines with one peripherally attached amino substituent (donor) were synthesized, and their photophysical properties (fluorescence quantum yield and singlet oxygen quantum yield) were determined. The synthesized TPyzPzs were expected to undergo intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) as the main pathway for deactivating their excited states. Several structural factors were found to play a critical role in ICT efficiency. The substituent in the ortho position to the donor center significantly influences the ICT, with tert-butylsulfanyl and butoxy substituents inducing the strongest ICTs, whereas chloro, methyl, phenyl, and hydrogen substituents in this position reduce the efficiency. The strength of the donor positively influences the ICT efficiency and correlates well with the oxidation potential of the amines used as the substituents on the TPyzPz as follows: n-butylamine < N,N-diethylamine < aniline < phenothiazine. The ICT (with conjugated donors and acceptors) in the TPyzPz also proved to be much stronger than a photoinduced electron transfer in which the donor and the acceptor are connected through an aliphatic linker.

Newly synthesized zinc phthalocyanine bearing sixteen quaternized imidazolyl moieties on the periphery displays high water-solubility, lack of aggregation and high singlet oxygen quantum yield in water (ΦΔ > 0.33). The in vitro tests indicated excellent anticancer photodynamic activity (EC50 = 36.7 nM) and low dark toxicity to non-cancerous cells (TC50 = 395 μM).

Intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) was studied on a series of magnesium, metal-free and zinc complexes of unsymmetrical tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines and tribenzopyrazinoporphyrazines bearing two dialkylamino substituents (donors) and six alkylsulfanyl or aryloxy substituents (non-donors). The dialkylamino substituents were responsible for ICT that deactivated excited states and led to considerable decrease of fluorescence and singlet oxygen quantum yields. Photophysical and photochemical properties were compared to corresponding macrocycles that do not bear any donor centers. The data showed high feasibility of ICT in the tetrapyrazinoporphyrazine macrocycle and significantly lower efficiency of this deactivation process in the tribenzopyrazinoporphyrazine type molecules. Considerable effect of non-donor peripheral substituents on ICT was also described. The results imply that tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines may be more suitable for development of new molecules investigated in applications based on ICT.

A series of azaphthalocyanines (AzaPc) bearing one, two, four or eight isopropylidene-protected galactosyl units was prepared by azide-alkyne click reaction or by classical Pc template cyclotetramerization of the corresponding dicyanopyrazine and AzaPc properties important for photodynamic therapy were compared. All compounds absorbed at long wavelengths (above 650 nm) and belonged to strong singlet oxygen producers (Φ(Δ) = 0.58-0.64) retaining significant fluorescence emission (Φ(F) = 0.026-0.23). The only exception was the compound with four isopropyliden-protected galactosyl units where partial aggregation was observed. Removal of protecting groups increased the polar character of all AzaPc. However, only AzaPc bearing eight galactoses was found to be water-soluble (105 mg mL(-1)) but noticeably aggregated in water as well as in organic solvents (DMF, DMSO). Amphiphilic AzaPc bearing one deprotected galactose was incorporated into the lipidic bilayer of liposomes in a nonaggregated form. Liposomes may therefore be a suitable delivery system for this amphiphilic photosensitizer.

The presented work deals with synthesis and isolation of constitutional isomers of triazolo-fused azaphthalocyanines. Distribution of the isomers did not follow the statistical calculations due to steric effects of the substituents preferring the least sterically stressed C(4h) isomer.

New unsymmetrical zinc azaphthalocyanines, bearing one substituted aniline as a peripheral substituent, were prepared by using a statistical condensation approach. Both fluorescence and singlet oxygen quantum yields were extremely low in DMF (Φ(F)<0.01, Φ(Δ)<0.02, respectively), but increased after the addition of sulfuric acid, reaching values comparable to controls without aniline substituents (Φ(F)=0.22-0.29, Φ(Δ)=0.40-0.59, respectively). This behavior was attributed to the deactivation of excited states by intramolecular charge transfer from a donor site (aniline), which was blocked after protonation in acidic media. In the protonated form, all of the compounds efficiently emitted light with λ(em) in the region of 662-675 nm. The investigated compounds were anchored to dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) unilamellar vesicles and showed response to buffer pH. They were highly fluorescent at low pH values and almost nonfluorescent in neutral solutions. The pK(a) values were determined in DOPC vesicles and ranged between 2.2 and 4.2., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Hydrophobic nonaggregating metal-free azaphthalocyanines (AzaPc) of the tetrapyrazinoporphyrazine type were synthesized, characterized, and used for oligonucleotide labeling. Both 3'-end and 5'-end labeling methods using solid phase synthesis suitable for automatic processes in the DNA/RNA synthesizer were developed. The hydrophobic character of AzaPc enabled the anchoring of the conjugates on reverse phase of the oligonucleotide purification cartridge, thus enabling their simple purification. AzaPc did not show any fluorescence and extremely low singlet oxygen quantum yields (Φ(Δ) = 0.015-0.018 in DMF) in a monomeric state due to ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer. That is why they were investigated as a new dark quencher structural type. They profit particularly from absorption in a wide range of wavelengths (300-740 nm) that covers all fluorophores used in hybridization assays nowadays. As an example, quenching efficiency was evaluated in a simple hybridization assay using monolabeled probes. AzaPc-based probes efficiently quenched both fluorescein and Cy5 fluorescence by both resonance energy transfer and contact quenching. The results were compared with three established dark quenchers, and the AzaPc exerted better (BHQ-1 and BHQ-2) or comparable (BBQ-650) quenching efficiencies for both fluorophores.

A series of octasubstituted zinc(II) tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines (TPyzPz), aza-analogues of phthalocyanines, differing in the number of peripheral N,N-diethylamino (n = 0-8) and tert-butylsulfanyl substituents (m = 8-n) has been synthesized. All possible congeners were characterized including adjacent and opposite isomers. Steady-state (UV-vis, fluorescence) and time-resolved (fluorescence, femtosecond transient absorption) spectroscopies, redox and photochemical (singlet oxygen formation) properties were investigated and compared. The peripheral tertiary amino substituents (donor) induce a new competitive relaxation pathway to fluorescence and intersystem crossing due to the mixing of the first excited state S(1) of the TPyzPz macrocycle with a nearby intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state. The fluorescence quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime of 6Zn bearing one N,N-diethylamino substituent (n = 1, m = 7) decreased with increasing solvent polarity, while the same observables of 5Zn with no donor centre (n = 0, m = 8) were not affected. Protonation of the N,N-diethylamino substituent in 6Zn led to a strong increase of the fluorescence intensity. The cyclic voltammetry data, the steady-state and time-resolved emission and transient absorption studies revealed strong electronic coupling between the TPyzPz moiety and N,N-diethylamino substituents. ICT is an extremely rapid process occurring with a time constant of 10 ps and 7 ps in 6Zn (n = 1, m = 7) and 11Zn (n = 8, m = 0) in pyridine, respectively. The ICT efficiency decreased in non-polar solvents. The presence of two N,N-diethylamino substituents in 7Zn (n = 2, m = 6) considerably quenched the S(1) states in pyridine (polar, coordinating), toluene (non-polar, non-coordinating) and toluene-1% pyridine (v/v) (non-polar, coordinating). The photophysical properties of compounds with more donor substituents on the periphery (n > 2, m < 6) were similar to those of 7Zn.

In this work zinc azaphthalocyanines (AzaPcs) from the group of tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines and zinc azanaphthalocyanines from the group of tetra[6,7]quinoxalinoporphyrazines (TQP) with eight diethylaminoethylsulfanyl substituents were synthesized. Tertiary amines were later quaternized with ethyl iodide to obtain water-soluble photosensitizers (PSs). Quaternized compounds showed high singlet oxygen quantum yields as determined in DMF by monitoring decomposition of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran. In water medium, quaternized AzaPc derivatives appeared in monomeric form in a wide range of concentrations while quaternized TQP derivatives showed aggregation at higher concentrations (over 1 microM). Photodynamic activity was tested on Hep2 cells using light of lambda > 640 nm. Both quaternized dyes showed high photodynamic activity (IC(50) = 104 and 220 nm for AzaPc and TQP, respectively). Dark toxicity was not detected even at the highest concentration used in in vitro tests (200 microM) which indicates a promising therapeutic index of these new substances. Tested compounds localized inside the cells mainly within the lysosomes thus suggesting an endocytic mechanism of cellular uptake. No localization within mitochondria was detected. A great advantage of TQP derivatives over other PSs is their very strong absorption at 747 nm that allows activation at wavelengths penetrating deeper into human tissues.

Dioleoylphosphatidylcholine unilamellar vesicles made by extrusion technique (LUVETs) were studied as the delivery system for lipophilic water-insoluble potential photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Two azaphthalocyanines (AzaPcs) with hydrophobic substituents only and two also possessing two charged amino groups were introduced into the study. All compounds are insoluble in water and form aggregates in PBS with tetrahydrofuran as cosolvent. The size of these aggregates depends on the concentration of AzaPc in solution. AzaPcs with tert-butyl substituents were found to be incorporated into the lipid bilayer of vesicles in the monomeric form even at high concentrations. The stability of LUVETs with incorporated AzaPc was excellent for at least 4 weeks. Therefore, they are suitable for use as a delivery system for these water-insoluble photosensitizers. Very low amount of AzaPc with n-octyl substituents incorporated into LUVETs due to its stronger self-aggregation. Values of binding constants determined for all AzaPcs showed inverse order than expected from their lipophilicities. However, the binding constants followed the order of the strength of aggregation forces. Aggregation of AzaPcs in water medium plays a very important role in the interaction of AzaPcs with LUVETs.