Photoactivation of bioactive molecules allows manipulation of cellular processes with high spatiotemporal precision. The recent emergence of visible-light excitable photoprotecting groups has the potential to further expand the established utility of the photoactivation strategy in biological applications by offering higher tissue penetration, diminished phototoxicity, and compatibility with other light-dependent techniques. Nevertheless, a critical barrier to such applications remains the significant hydrophobicity of most visible-light excitable photocaging groups. Here, we find that applying the conventional 2,6-sulfonation to meso-methyl BODIPY photocages is incompatible with their photoreaction due to an increase in the excited state barrier for photorelease. We present a simple, remote sulfonation solution to BODIPY photocages that imparts water solubility and provides control over cellular permeability while retaining their favorable spectroscopic and photoreaction properties. Peripherally disulfonated BODIPY photocages are cell impermeable, making them useful for modulation of cell-surface receptors, while monosulfonated BODIPY retains the ability to cross the cellular membrane and can modulate intracellular targets. This new approach is generalizable for controlling BODIPY localization and was validated by sensitization of mammalian cells and neurons by visible-light photoactivation of signaling molecules.

Acquired resistance to apoptotic agents is a long-standing challenge in cancer treatment. Cathepsin B (CTSB) is an enzyme which, among many essential functions, promotes apoptosis during cellular stress through regulation of intracelllular proteolytic networks on the minute timescale. Recent data indicate that CTSB inhibition may be a promising method to steer cells away from apoptotic death towards necrosis, a mechanism of cell death that can overcome resistance to apoptotic agents, stimulate an immune response and promote anti-tumor immunity. Unfortunately, rapid and selective intracellular inactivation of CTSB has not been possible. However, here we report on the synthesis and characterization of photochemical and biological properties of BODIPY-caged inhibitors of CTSB that are cell permeable, highly selective and activated rapidly upon exposure to visible light. Intriguingly, these compounds display tunable photophysical and biological properties based on substituents bound directly to boron. Me2BODIPY-caged compound 8 displays the dual-action capability of light-accelerated CTSB inhibition and singlet oxygen production from a singular molecular entitiy. The dual-action capacity of 8 leads to a rapid necrotic response in MDA-MB-231 triple negative breast cancer cells with high phototherapeutic indexes (>30) and selectivity vs. non-cancerous cells that neither CTSB inhibition nor photosensitization gives alone. Our work confirms that singlet oxygen production and CTSB inactivation is highly synergistic and a promising method for killing cancer cells. Furthermore, our ability to trigger intracellular inactivation of CTSB with light will provide researchers with a powerful photochemical tool for probing biochemical processes on short timescales.

Stable organic radicals with switchable spin states have attracted attention for a variety of applications, but a fundamental understanding of how radical structure effects the weak bonding interactions between organic radicals is limited. To evaluate the effect of chemical structure on the strength and nature of such spin interactions, a series of 14 tethered aryl dicyanomethyl diradicals were synthesized, and the structure and thermodynamic properties of the diradicals were investigated. These studies indicate that the nature of the dimer and the equilibrium thermodynamic parameters of the diradical–dimer equilibria are highly sensitive to the attachment point of the linker, the length of the linker, and the substituents on the radical itself. Values of the intramolecular K a vary from as small as 5 to as high as 105 depending on these variables. An X-ray crystal structure for a linked ortho-substituted diradical shows that the diradical forms an intramolecular sigma dimer in the crystalline state with an elongated C–C bond (1.637 Å). Subtle changes to the radical structure influences the nature of the spin interactions, as fixing the dimethylamino substituent on the radical into a ring to make a julolidine-derived diradical leads to the weakest bonding interaction observed (ΔG bonding = 1 kcal mol–1) and changes the spin-paired species from a sigma dimer to a diradical pimer. This work has implications for the design of stimuli-responsive materials that can reversibly switch between the dramatically different properties of closed-shell species and the unique properties of diradicals.

BODIPY photocages allow release of substrates using visible light irradiation. They have the drawback of requiring reasonably good leaving groups for photorelease. Photorelease of alcohols is often accomplished by attachment with carbonate linkages, which upon photorelease liberate CO 2 and generate the alcohol. Here, we show that boron-alkylated BODIPY photocages are capable of directly photoreleasing both aliphatic alcohols and phenols upon irradiation via photocleavage of ether linkages. Direct photorelease of a hydroxycoumarin dye was demonstrated in living HeLa cells.

Simple rules based on canonical structures allow for the prediction of a new class of triplet carbocation and carbanion species.