Feasibility Study on Quantitative Measurements of Singlet Oxygen Generation Using Singlet Oxygen Sensor Green

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility for quantitative measurement of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) generation by using a newly developed ¹O₂-specific fluorescence probe Singlet Oxygen Sensor Green reagent (SOSG). ¹O₂ generation from photoirradiation of a model photosensitizer Rose Bengal (RB), in initially air-statured phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was indirectly monitored with SOSG. In the presence of ¹O₂, SOSG can react with ¹O₂ to produce SOSG endoperoxides (SOSG-EP) that emit strong green fluorescence with the maximum at 531 nm. The green fluorescence of SOSG-EP is mainly dependent on the initial concentrations of RB and SOSG, and the photoirradiation time for ¹O₂ generation. Furthermore, kinetic analysis of the RB-sensitized photooxidation of SOSG is performed that, for the first time, allows quantitative measurement of ¹O₂ generation directly from the determination of reaction rate. In addition, the obtained ¹O₂ quantum yield of porphyrin-based photosensitizer hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) in PBS by using SOSG is in good agreement with the value that independently determined by using direct measurement of ¹O₂ luminescence. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that the quantitative measurement of ¹O₂ generation using SOSG can be achieved by determining the reaction rate with an appropriate measurement protocol.