Side Chain Programming Synchronously Enhances the Photothermal Conversion Efficiency and Photodynamic Activity of A-D-A Photosensitizers

Synchronously improving the photothermal conversion efficiency and photodynamic activity of organic small molecule photosensitizers is crucial for their further wide application in cancer treatment. Recently, the emerging A-D-A photosensitizer-based phototherapy systems have attracted great interest due to their plentiful inherent merits. Herein, we propose a design strategy for A-D-A photosensitizers with synchronously enhanced photothermal conversion and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation efficiencies. Side chain programming is carried out to design three A-D-A photosensitizers (IDT-H, IDT-Br, IDT-I) containing hexyl, bromohexyl, and iodohexyl side chains, respectively. Theoretical calculations confirm that a bulky iodine atom could weaken the intermolecular pi-pi stacking and enhance spin-orbit coupling constants of IDT-I. These molecular mechanisms enable IDT-I nanoparticles (NPs) to exhibit 2.4-fold and 1.7-fold higher ROS generation efficiency than that of IDT-H NPs and IDT-Br NPs, respectively, as well as the highest photothermal conversion efficiency. Both the experimental results in vitro and in vivo verify that IDT-I NPs are perfectly qualified for the mission of photothermal and photodynamic synergistic therapy. Therefore, in this contribution, we provide a promising perspective for the design of A-D-A photosensitizers with simultaneously improved photothermal and photodynamic therapy ability.