Novel non-aggregated boron-fluorine derivatives with large Stokes shift were facilely synthesized and characterized. These dyes show moderate absorptive coefficients and intense fluorescence emission, and excellent photo-stability in solvents and also in solid state. According to X-ray single-crystal analysis, non-covalent intermolecular interactions provide a rigid structure, which inhibits aggregate formation. These non-aggregated dyes can generate singlet oxygen under light irradiation, which makes them good candidates for photodynamic therapy.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been recognized as a promising treatment for cancers and tumors, in which photosensitizer is one of the most important issues. As a class of excellent fluorescent dyes, boron-fluorine derivatives (typically 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene, BODIPY) have preferable ability of generating singlet oxygen and have been under extensive study for PDT sensitizers. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of design and applications of boron-fluorine-based photosensitizers for PDT.
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