Correlation between the Fluorination Degree of Perfluorinated Zinc Phthalocyanines, Their Singlet Oxygen Generation Ability, and Their Photoelectrochemical Response for Phenol Sensing.

Electron-withdrawing perfluoroalkyl peripheral groups grafted on phthalocyanine (Pc) macrocycles improve their single-site isolation, solubility, and resistance to self-oxidation, all beneficial features for catalytic applications. A high degree of fluorination also enhances the reducibility of Pcs and could alter their singlet oxygen (1O2) photoproduction. The ethanol/toluene 20:80 vol % solvent mixture was found to dissolve perfluorinated FnPcZn complexes, n = 16, 52, and 64, and minimize the aggregation of the sterically unencumbered F16PcZn. The 1O2 production ability of FnPcZn complexes was examined using 9,10-dimethylanthracene (DMA) and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TEMP) in combination with UV-vis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, respectively. While the photoreduction of F52PcZn and F64PcZn in the presence of redox-active TEMP lowered 1O2 production, DMA was a suitable 1O2 trap for ranking the complexes. The solution reactivity was complemented by solid-state studies via the construction of photoelectrochemical sensors based on TiO2-supported FnPcZn, FnPcZn|TiO2. Phenol photo-oxidation by 1O2, followed by its electrochemical reduction, defines a redox cycle, the 1O2 production having been found to depend on the value of n and structural features of the supported complexes. Consistent with solution studies, F52PcZn was found to be the most efficient 1O2 generator. The insights on reactivity testing and structural-activity relationships obtained may be useful for designing efficient and robust sensors and for other 1O2-related applications of FnPcZn.

Chemically robust fluoroalkyl phthalocyanine-oligonucleotide bioconjugates and their GRP78 oncogene photocleavage activity.

The first representative of functionalized fluoroalkyl phthalocyanines, F48H7(COOH)PcZn, is reported. The complex generates (1)O2 affording long-lasting photooxidation of an external substrate without self-decomposition. The carboxylic group couples with an antisense oligonucleotide targeting GRP78 oncogenes, resulting in the F48H7PcZn-cancer targeting oligonucleotide (CTO). The bioconjugated fluorophthalocyanine effectively hybridizes complementary GRP78 DNA and mRNA sequences. Piperidine cleavage assays reveal desired photochemical oligonucleotide oxidative degradation for both F48H7PcZn-CTO:DNA and F48H7PcZn-CTO:mRNA hybrids. This new materials strategy could be extended to other functional fluorinated phthalocyanines-antisense oligonucleotide combinations for long-lasting oncogene-targeting photodynamic therapy.