Petr Zimcik

Synthesis and studies on photodynamic activity of new water-soluble azaphthalocyanines

Abstract Aza analogues of phthalocyanines (AzaPc’s) bearing four long chains with carboxy groups at the end and four “bulky” diethylamino groups on periphery were synthesised and characterised. Their sodium salts are very soluble in water. The first studies on photodynamic activity of this tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines (a type of AzaPc) are presented. The dye-sensitised photooxidation of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofurane via 1 O 2 was studied in pyridine. Their photodynamic activity in vitro was not detected due to the aggregation behaviour of these compounds in water.

Magnesium Azaphthalocyanines: An Emerging Family of Excellent Red-Emitting Fluorophores

Magnesium(II), zinc(II), and metal-free phthalocyanines (Pcs) and azaphthalocyanines (AzaPcs) containing alkylsulfanyl, aryloxy, and dialkylamino peripheral substituents have been synthesized. The complexation of magnesium(II) by metal-free Pcs and AzaPcs has been studied in detail to determine the optimal reaction conditions necessary to ensure a complete conversion. Photophysical and photochemical measurements in tetrahydrofuran showed that magnesium(II) AzaPcs with aryloxy and alkylsulfanyl substituents have excellent fluorescent properties (Φ(F) up to 0.73) and that the corresponding zinc(II) Pcs are efficient singlet oxygen producers (Φ(Δ) up to 0.68). The presence of dialkylamino substituents causes intramolecular charge transfer within the molecule that competes with fluorescence and singlet oxygen formation. Alkylsulfanyl MgAzaPc and ZnAzaPc were the most photostable compounds among the series of studied derivatives. In addition, high molar absorption coefficients (ε ∼ 300,000 M(-1) cm(-1)), absorption (λ(max) ∼ 650 nm), and emission (λ(em) ∼ 660 nm, high Φ(F)) in the red region suggest that these molecules are potential fluorescent probes that are superior to the commercial red cyanine dye Cy5. MgAzaPc, when incorporated into lipidic bilayers of liposomes, maintains excellent fluorescence properties (Φ(F) = 0.64). Water-soluble MgAzaPc with quaternary ammonium peripheral substituents retained a high fluorescence quantum yield even in water (Φ(F) = 0.25). The described properties show that magnesium(II) AzaPcs are excellent red-emitting fluorophores with potential applications as fluorescent probes in sensing or in vitro imaging applications.

Synthesis and comparison of photodynamic activity of alkylheteroatom substituted azaphthalocyanines

Abstract Optimal reaction conditions were developed for synthesis of octakis(butylamino), octakis(butylsulfanyl) and octakis(butoxy) azaphthalocyanines (AzaPc’s) with central metal Mg, Zn and metal-free. Their photodynamic activity was measured and compared as a dye-sensitised photooxidation of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofurane (DPBF). Compounds with alkylamino substituent are very poor producers of the singlet oxygen and therefore not suitable as sensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). On the other hand, compounds with alkylsulfanyl and alkoxy substituents possess very good photodynamic activity and are suitable for PDT.

Far-Red-Absorbing Cationic Phthalocyanine Photosensitizers: Synthesis and Evaluation of the Photodynamic Anticancer Activity and the Mode of Cell Death Induction

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.

Synthesis, Properties and In Vitro Photodynamic Activity of Water‐soluble Azaphthalocyanines and Azanaphthalocyanines

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 μm). Photodynamic activity was tested on Hep2 cells using light of λ > 640 nm. Both quaternized dyes showed high photodynamic activity (IC50 = 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 μm) 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.

Synthesis and singlet oxygen production of azaphthalocyanines bearing functional derivatives of carboxylic acid

New metal-free, magnesium and zinc azaphthalocyanines (AzaPc) were prepared from 6-(3-tert-butylsulfany1-5,6-dicyanopyrazine-2-ylamino)hexanoic acid and its butylester and N,N-diethylamide. Their singlet oxygen production was measured by a dye-sensitized photooxidation of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) and ΦΔ values were calculated. It was found that the presence of carboxylic acid in the structure of AzaPc decreases their singlet oxygen production. Singlet oxygen activity of the newly prepared compounds (containing mixed alkylamino and alkylsulfanyl peripheral substituents) lies between purely alkylsulfanyl and alkylamino derivatives of AzaPc. This fact further supports previously proposed structure-activity relationships, where alkylsulfanyl derivatives belong to the best singlet oxygen producers while the presence of alkylamino substituents in the structure rapidly decreases their photodynamic properties.

Azaphthalocyanines with extended conjugation through heteroaryl and aryl substituents: Photochemical and photophysical properties

Magnesium and zinc complexes of azaphthalocyanines (AzaPc) with eight peripheral aromatic (phenyl) or heteroaromatic (pyridyl, thienyl, furyl) substituents are studied from the point of view of their singlet oxygen (ΦΔ) and fluorescence (ΦF) quantum yields, and UV-vis absorption spectra. Zn complexes have higher ΦΔ than Mg complexes by a factor of two, whereas the Mg complexes have higher ΦF than Zn complexes, also by a factor of two. Thienyl AzaPc have the highest ΦΔ among all studied substances (0.635 for Zn complex) followed by phenyl and pyridyl derivatives. The order of ΦF values is then reversed - the highest values were reached for pyridyl and phenyl derivatives followed by thienyl AzaPc. Both furyl AzaPc were unstable towards light and decomposed giving very low ΦΔ and ΦF. The Q-bands of the furyl and thienyl AzaPc were red-shifted for approx. 20 nm compared to phenyl and pyridyl derivatives indicating lower sterical hindrance between five-membered rings and thus allowing better conjugation of π-systems. Pyridyl-, thienyl- and furyl-substituted pyrazino[2,3-b]pyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitriles were also prepared but decomposed during attempted cyclotetramerizations.

Protonation and deprotonation of nitrogens in tetrapyrazino-porphyrazine macrocycles

Acid-base properties of zinc phthalocyanine (Pc) and zinc and metal-free tetrapyrazinoporphyrazine (TPPz) macrocycles with eight peripheral tert-butylsulfanyl or diethylamino substituents are investigated in this work by means of UV-vis spectroscopy. The Pc and TPPz are protonated on the azomethine nitrogens in acidic media. The monoprotonated form was found using trifluoroacetic acid and lower amounts of H2SO4. The higher concentrations of sulfuric acid lead to the appearance of the diprotonated form, and possibly also the triprotonated form in the case of Pc. It was found that the pyrazine nitrogens in the TPPz macrocycle undergo protonation at approx. 20-30% of sulfuric acid in THF solution. TPPz with diethylamino peripheral substituents are protonated preferably on these peripheral tertiary amines. Metal-free TPPz can readily lose the hydrogens on central nitrogens in strong basic media (e.g. tetrabutylammonium hydroxide) to directly form a dianion, with no presence of important or detectable amounts of the monoanion species. A different form of deprotonated macrocycle was observed in pyridine suggesting the formation of only a proton transfer complex, not a true ionic form. The acidity of the central nitrogens is dependent on the strength of the electron-donating effect of peripheral substituents. TPPz with tert-butylsulfanyl substituents is a stronger acid than the one with diethylamino substituents.

Effective Monofunctional Azaphthalocyanine Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy

In this work we present a rational design of the active part of third generation photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy based on phthalocyanine and an azaphthalocyanine core. The preferred zinc complexes of the AAAB type that contain bulky tert-butylsulfanyl substituents (A) and one carboxy group (B) have been synthesized by statistical condensation and fully characterized. The tetramerization was performed using magnesium(ii) butoxide followed by demetalation and insertion of Zn II . Compound 1 synthesized from 4,5-bis(tert-butylsulfanyl)phthalonitrile (A) and 2,3dicyanoquinoxaline-6-carboxylic acid (B) exerted very promising photophysical properties (Q-band absorption at 726 nm, e = 140000 M −1 cm −1 ), which allowed strong absorption of light at long wavelengths where the penetration of the light through human tissues is deeper. The very high singlet oxygen quantum yield of 1 (� � = 0.80) assures efficient photosensitization. As a result of bulky peripheral substituents, compound 1 shows good solubility in organic solvents with a low degree of aggregation, which makes it potentially viable for non-complicated modification. One carboxy group in the final structure of 1 allows simple binding to possible carriers. This compound is suitable for binding to targeting moieties to form the highly active part of a third-generation photosensitizer.

Role of steric hindrance in the Newman-Kwart rearrangement and in the synthesis and photophysical properties of arylsulfanyl tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines.

Conditions for the Newman-Kwart rearrangement of phenols into thiophenols were investigated in relation to the bulkiness of substituents at the 2 and 6 positions of the starting phenol derivative with an emphasis on eliminating side reactions. Thiophenols with different 2,6-disubstitution patterns (including hydrogen, methyl, isopropyl or tert-butyl groups) were used for the synthesis of 5,6-bis(arylsulfanyl)pyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitriles that underwent cyclotetramerization leading to the corresponding zinc tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines (TPyzPz), aza-analogues of phthalocyanines. Several methods for the cyclotetramerization were attempted to eliminate problematic side reactions. Magnesium butoxide was found as the most suitable cyclotetramerization agent and afforded TPyzPzs in reasonable yields of approximately 30% under mild conditions. The varying arrangements of the peripheral substitutions resulting from the different bulkiness of the substituents were demonstrated by the X-ray structures of the pyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitriles. The prepared zinc arylsulfanyl TPyzPzs showed an absorption maximum at a Q-band over 650 nm, fluorescence quantum yields between 0.078 and 0.20, and singlet oxygen quantum yields ranging 0.58-0.69. TPyzPzs with isopropyl groups were found to be the best derivatives in this series as they combined facile cyclotetramerization, no aggregation, and good photophysical properties, which makes them potentially suitable for photodynamic therapy.