No abstract

Photosensitizer‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoparticles are promising materials for photodynamic therapy in cancer management. In this study, rGO is synthesized by a green route employing glucose as the reducing agent and functionalized with photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) in a convenient, single‐step procedure. PPIX‐functionalized rGO exhibits photodynamic effect against cancer cells (HeLa) at 0.001 mg mL−1 under visible light illumination (635 nm). A 50% elimination of HeLa cells after 5 min irradiation is observed while very low phototoxicity (80% cell viability) is noted against normal dermal fibroblast cells. A positive correlation with ROS accumulation and increased expression of caspase‐3 in PPIX‐functionalized rGO‐treated cancer cells is also established. The results evidence a simple and cost‐effective route for developing photosensitizer‐functionalized rGO for effective and selective killing of cancer cells.