Synthesis and anchoring of antineoplastic ferrocene and phthalocyanine derivatives on water-soluble polymeric drug carriers derived from lysine and aspartic Acid.

The general synthetic strategy towards water-soluble biodegradable drug carriers and the properties that they must have are discussed. The syntheses of water-soluble biodegradable copolymers of lysine and aspartic acid as potential drug-delivering devices, having amine-functionalised side chains are then described. Covalent anchoring of carboxylic acid derivatives of the antineoplastic ferrocene and photodynamically active phthalocyanine moieties to the amine-containing drug carrier copolymers under mild coupling conditions has been achieved utilising the coupling reagent O-benzotriazolyl-N,N,N('),N(')-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate to promote formation of the biodegradable amide bond. Even though the parent antineoplastic ferrocene and phthalocyanine derivatives are themselves insoluble in water at pH < 7, the new carrier-drug conjugates that were obtained are well water-soluble.

Synthesis and photochemical characterization of a zinc phthalocyanine-zinc porphyrin heterotrimer and heterononamer.

The synthesis of two phthalocyanine-porphyrin covalently linked heteromolecules are described. Intramolecular energy transfer is investigated and quantified in terms of the quantum yield of energy transfer and found to be highly effective in both molecules. The photophysical properties of both molecules are modified greatly by the presence of the porphyrin moieties on the phthalocyanine core.