Direct Near Infrared Light–Activatable Phthalocyanine Catalysts

The high penetration of near-infrared (NIR) light makes it effective for use in selective reactions under light-shielded conditions, such as in sealed reactors and deep tissues. Herein, we report the development of phthalocyanine catalysts directly activated by NIR light to transform small organic molecules. The desired photocatalytic properties were achieved in the phthalocyanines by introducing the appropriate peripheral substituents and central metal. These phthalocyanine photocatalysts promote cross-dehydrogenative-coupling (CDC) under irradiation with 810 nm NIR light. The choice of solvent is important, and a mixture of a reaction-accelerating (pyridine) and -decelerating (methanol) solvents was particularly effective. Moreover, we demonstrate photoreactions under visible-light-shielded conditions through the transmission of NIR light. A combined experimental and computational mechanistic analysis revealed that this NIR reaction does not involve a photoredox-type mechanism with electron transfer, but instead a singlet-oxygen-mediated mechanism with energy transfer.     

An Endoplasmic Reticulum Targeting Type I Photosensitizer for Effective Photodynamic Therapy against Hypoxic Tumor Cells

Organelle-targeted type I photodynamic therapy (PDT) shows great potential to overcome the hypoxic microenvironment in solid tumors. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an indispensable organelle in cells with important biological functions. When the ER is damaged due to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the accumulation of misfolded proteins will interfere with ER homeostasis, resulting in ER stress. Here, an ER-targeted benzophenothiazine-based photosensitizer NBS-ER was presented. ER targeting modification significantly reduced the dark toxicity and improved phototoxicity index (PI). NBS-ER could effectively produce O₂⁻⋅ with near-infrared irradiation, making its phototoxicity under hypoxia close to that under normoxia. Meanwhile, the photoinduced ROS triggered ER stress and induced apoptosis. In addition, NBS-ER possessed excellent photodynamic therapeutic effect in 4T1-tumor-bearing mice.     

Impact of N-Aryl- and NHC Core-Substituents on the Coupling of Alkylzinc Nucleophiles: Is Bigger always Better?

Bulky Pd−N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysts (e. g., N-(di-2,6-(3-pentyl)phenyl), IPent) have been shown to have significantly higher reactivity in a wide variety of cross-coupling applications (i. e., C−C, C−S, C−N) than less hindered variants (e. g., N-(di-2,6-(isopropyl)phenyl), IPr). Further, chlorinating the backbone of the NHC ring sees an even greater increase in reactivity. In the cross-coupling of (hetero)aryl electrophiles to secondary alkyl nucleophiles, making the N-aryl groups larger reduces the amount of β-hydride elimination leading to alkene byproducts and chlorinating the NHC core had an even greater effect, all but eliminating alkene formation. In the present study involving the cross-coupling of primary alkyl electrophiles and nucleophiles, a sharp and surprising reversal of all of the above trends was observed. Bulkier catalysts had generally slower rate of reaction and β-hydride elimination worsened leading to extensive amounts of alkene byproducts.