Affiliations: Jiangsu Key Laboratory Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China | Analysis Testing Center, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
Note: [] Corresponding author: Shao Hua Wei, Jiangsu Key Laboratory Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China. Tel.: +86 25 85891761; Fax: +86 25 85891761; E-mail: shwei@njnu.edu.cn.
Abstract: Tetra-tert-butyl zinc(II) phthalocyanine has attracted great attention as an effective photosensitizer in the field of photodynamic therapy. However, tetra-tert-butyl zinc(II) phthalocyanine is hydrophobic and trends to aggregate to form the inactive congeries in aqueous solution, which dramatically reduce its photodynamic activity. To solve this problem, tetra-tert-butyl zinc(II) phthalocyanine was encapsulated into silica nanoparticles using microemulsion method and its properties were studied using spectroscopic methods. After embedded inside the silica nanoparticles, the water-solubility, stability and monomer percent of phthalocyanine in water were greatly improved comparing with the free phthalocyanines, and therefore, its photo-induced singlet oxygen generation efficacy of drug-doped silica nanoparticles was improved. The results indicated that encapsulation hydrophobic phthalocyanine into silica nanoparticles was an effective way to solve their problems and promote their clinical application.
