A combination of covalent and noncovalent restricted‐intramolecular‐rotation strategy for supramolecular AIE‐type photosensitizer toward photodynamic therapy

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising noninvasive method for targeted cancer cell destruction. Still, its effectiveness is often hindered by the aggregation‐caused quenching effect of organic photosensitizer (PS) in aqueous environments. Here, we have employed a combination of covalent and noncovalent restricted‐intramolecular‐rotation strategies to develop supramolecular PSs with aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) characteristics. Firstly, a water‐soluble octacationic molecular cage (1) with a bilayer tetraphenylethene (TPE) structure has been designed and synthesized, which minimizes intramolecular rotation of TPE moieties and achieves the single‐molecule‐level aggregation by the covalent restriction of intramolecular rotation (RIR) via molecular engineering synthesis. Compared with its single‐layer TPE analog, 1 exhibits superior efficiency in generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) including superoxide radical (O2−•) and singlet oxygen (1O2) upon white‐light irradiation. Subsequently, by forming a 1:4 host–guest complex (1@CB[8]4) between 1 and cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]), O2−• generation can be further enhanced by the noncovalent RIR via the host–guest assembly. Additionally, 1@CB[8]4 as a photocatalyst promotes rapid oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) in water. Given its Type‐I ROS generation and catalytic activity for NADH oxidation, 1@CB[8]4 acts as a supramolecular AIE‐type PS to exhibit strong photo‐induced cytotoxicity upon white‐light irradiation under hypoxic conditions, showcasing its potential for synergistic PDT.