Highlited Publication
Two-photon activated precision molecular photosensitizer targeting mitochondria
Mariz, IFA; Pinto, SN; Santiago, AM; Martinho, JMG; Recio, J; Vaquero, JJ; Cuadro, AM; Maçôas, E*
Communications Chemistry 2021, 4, Article number: 142
In this work, we report dipolar and quadrupolar quinolizinium and benzimidazolium cations that show mitochondria targeting ability and localized light-induced mitochondria damage in live animal cells.
Some of the dyes induce a very efficient disruption of mitochondrial potential and subsequent cell death under two-photon excitation in the Near-infrared (NIR) opening up possible applications of azonia/azolium aromatic heterocycles as precision photosensitizers.
The dipolar compounds could be excited in the NIR due to a high two-photon brightness while exhibiting emission in the red part of the visible spectra (600–700 nm).
Reflectance Confocal Microscopy: A Powerful Tool for Large Scale Characterization of Ordered/Disordered Morphology in Colloidal Photonic Structures
Areias, LRP; Mariz, I; Macoas, E;* Farinha, JPS*
ACS Nano 2021, 15, 7, 11779–11788
The development of appropriate methods to correlate the structure and optical properties of colloidal photonic structures is still a challenge. Structural information is mostly obtained by electron, X-ray, or optical microscopy methods and X-ray diffraction, while bulk spectroscopic methods and low resolution bright-field microscopy are used for optical characterization. Here, we describe the use of reflectance confocal microscopy as a simple and intuitive technique to provide a direct correlation between the ordered/disordered structural morphology of colloidal crystals and glasses, and their corresponding optical properties.
Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy Effects of Graphene Quantum Dots Conjugated with Aminoporphyrin
Santos, CIM;* Rodriguez-Perez, L ; Goncalves, G; Dias, CJ; Monteiro, F; Faustino, MDF ; Vieira, SI; Helguero, LA; Herranz, MA; Martin, N; Neves, MGPMS; Martinho, JMG; Macoas, EMS*
ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2021, 4, 12, 13079–13089
Porphyrins are promising materials for photodynamic therapy, but their low solubility and aggregation in biological environments are still obstacles to surpass. To overcome these limitations, porphyrins were conjugasted with graphene quantum dots (GQDs). The new hybrids were investigated as phototherapeutic agents in high incidence breast cancer (T-47D cell line) under white light, and a significant photocytotoxic effect was observed at 10 nM. Conjugation of aminoporphyrin to GQDs promoted an efficient uptake by the T-47D cells when compared with the non-immobilized porphyrin. These results point out the high potential of the new hybrids to be explored as theragnostic agents.
