The emergence of multidrug resistant bacterium threatens to unravel global healthcare systems, built up over centuries of medical research and development. Current antibiotics have little resistance against this onslaught as bacterium strains can quickly evolve effective defense mechanisms. Fortunately, alternative therapies exist and, at the forefront of research lays the photodynamic inhibition approach mediated by porphyrin based photosensitizers. This review will focus on the development of various porphyrins compounds and their incorporation as small molecules, into polymers, fibers and thin films as practical therapeutic agents, utilizing photodynamic therapy to inhibit a wide spectrum of bacterium. The use of photodynamic therapy of these porphyrin molecules are discussed and evaluated according to their electronic and bulk material effect on different bacterium strains. This review also provides an insight into the general direction and challenges facing porphyrins and derivatives as full-fledged therapeutic agents and what needs to be further done in order to be bestowed their rightful and equal status in modern medicine, similar to the very first antibiotic; penicillin itself. It is hoped that, with this perspective, new paradigms and strategies in the application of porphyrins and derivatives will progressively flourish and lead to advances against disease.

The biocompatibility and performance of reagents for in vivo contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are essential for their translation to the clinic. The quality of the surface coating of nanoparticle-based MRI contrast agents, such as ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIONs), is critical to ensure high colloidal stability in biological environments, improved magnetic performance, and dispersion in circulatory fluids and tissues. Herein, we report the design of a library of 21 peptides and ligands and identify highly stable self-assembled monolayers on the USPIONs' surface. A total of 86 different peptide-coated USPIONs are prepared and selected using several stringent criteria, such as stability against electrolyte-induced aggregation in physiological conditions, prevention of nonspecific binding to cells, and absence of cellular toxicity and contrast-enhanced in vivo MRI. The bisphosphorylated peptide 2PG-S*VVVT-PEG4-ol provides the highest biocompatibility and performance for USPIONs, with no detectable toxicity or adhesion to live cells. The 2PG-S*VVVT-PEG4-ol-coated USPIONs show enhanced magnetic resonance properties, r (2.4 mM·s) and r (217.8 mM·s) relaxivities, and greater r/ r relaxivity ratios (>90) when compared to those of commercially available MRI contrast agents. Furthermore, we demonstrate the utility of 2PG-S*VVVT-PEG4-ol-coated USPIONs as a T contrast agent for in vivo MRI applications. High contrast enhancement of the liver is achieved as well as detection of liver tumors, with significant improvement of the contrast-to-noise ratio of tumor-to-liver contrast. It is envisaged that the reported peptide-coated USPIONs have the potential to allow for the specific targeting of tumors and hence early detection of cancer by MRI.

Reaction of [Pt(L)(μ-Cl)](2) (L = ppy (2-phenylpyridine) or bzq (benzo[h]quinoline)) with 2-mercaptobenzoxazole (NOSH) and NaOAc in THF at r.t. yields the dinuclear Pt(II) d(8)-d(8) complexes [Pt(2)L(2)(μ-NOS-κN,S)(2)] (L = ppy, 1; L = bzq, 2) and the Pt(III) d(7)-d(7) complexes [Pt(2)(ppy)(2)(μ-NOS-κN,S)(2)(NOS-κS)(2)] (L = ppy, 3; L = bzq, 4) in one pot. The C,N-cyclometalated ligand is chelating whereas the N,S-donating benzoxazole-2-thiolates doubly bridge the two metal centers. The Pt···Pt separations of 3.0204(3) and 2.9726(8) Å in 1 and 2 contract to 2.685(1) Å in 3 and 2.6923(3) Å in 4, respectively, when two S-bound thiolate ligands coordinate trans- to the Pt···Pt axis. However, cyclometalation is preserved and there is minimum perturbation of the bridging ligands. Complexes 3 and 4 can be also obtained by oxidative addition of the thiolate ligand. In the presence of NaBH(4), 3 and 4 can be reduced to 1 and 2, respectively. At r.t., 1 and 2 exhibit intense orange-red luminescence at 625 nm and 631 nm, respectively. The electrochemical properties of 1-4 have been also discussed.

A new family of Mn(II) complexes stabilized by carboxylate-rich hybrid ligands has been synthesized, characterized and applied as catalytic precursors for MnO2 nanoparticles in water oxidation by (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6.

A photoelectrochemical device for water splitting has been fabricated from a new water stable molecular [Na 2 Mn 4 ] complex that acts as an in situ precursor towards NaMn 2 O x nanoparticles under catalytic conditions when immobilized within a conductive PEDOT : PSS/Nafion composite film for optimal electron transport. The optimized photoanode architecture of ITO/TiO 2 /Ru/60% PEDOT : PSS/Na 2 Mn 4 /Nafion resulted in a water oxidation onset potential of 1.35 V (vs. RHE) and achieved a maximum current density of 1.31 mA cm −2 (initial) and 0.80 mA cm −2 (stabilized) at 1.8 V (vs. RHE) at pH 6.5. † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: The detailed synthesis procedure for the [Na 2 Mn 4 ] complex is provided. The single crystal X-ray refinement data, PEDOT : PSS/Na 2 Mn 4 /Nafion solution preparation and UV-Vis spectrum, time-of-flight secondary-ion-mass-spectroscopy data, field emission scanning electron microscope images of the 60% PEDOT : PSS/Na 2 Mn 4 /Nafion device, electron paramagnetic resonance measurements, and control experiment are also included. CCDC 949196. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see

A series of bis-acryl functionalized porphyrins and their corresponding metalloporphyrins (M = Co, Mn) were synthesized and investigated for their antimicrobial properties through MIC screening and bacteria time-kill kinetic studies. The Mn(III) 4-(bis)methylphenyl-substituted-porphyrins showed superior batericidal activities even in the dark with low hemotoxicity and good cytotoxicity profile.