Porphyrin Self-Assembled Nanostructures and Applications

Abstract

Porphyrins are a class of macromolecular heterocyclic compounds formed by the inter-carbon atoms of four pyrrole-like subunits through the submethyl bridge (〓CH▬). Porphyrin rings have 26 electrons in highly conjugated system and are easily modified peripheral structures, often serve as ideal building blocks to construct self-assembled nanostructures with excellent physical and chemical properties. Porphyrin nanostructures have excellent visible light absorption properties, which will significantly improve the efficiency of electron–hole separation, and are also commonly used in photocatalysis fields. Porphyrin photosensitizers have superior strong phototoxicity and little side effects, and are widely used in tumor photothermal/photodynamic treatment. This chapter summarizes the self-assembly methods of porphyrins, the applications progress of porphyrin self-assembled nanomaterials in photocatalysis and tumor therapy, and discusses the development trend in future of porphyrin nanomaterials.

Responsive self-assembly of nanomaterials: Mechanisms, applications, and future perspectives

“…Reversibility is vital in both advanced drug delivery systems and smart surfaces. The ability to control the permeability of the surface allows for the controlled release of drugs during drug delivery cycles [10]. They are also both environmentally friendly because the processes only require temperature and light as external stimuli instead of chemical additives.…”

Noble Metal Nanoparticle-Loaded Porphyrin Hexagonal Submicrowires Composites (M-HW): Photocatalytic Synthesis and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

“…Self-assembled porphyrin nanostructures formed through a noncovalent bond interaction can exhibit inherit electronic and optical properties with a similar broadened optical absorption as those of the original porphyrin monomers [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Porphyrin-order nanostructures have attracted widespread attention as a promising photovoltaic technology aiming to emulate the natural light-harvesting processes and energy storage [ 35 , 36 , 37 ]. After the light absorption process of the self-assembled porphyrin, it becomes excited through the visible light.…”