Water-soluble cationic gallium(III) and indium(III) phthalocyanines for photodynamic therapy.

The new tetra-non-peripheral and peripheral 2-mercaptopyridine substituted gallium(III) and indium(III) phthalocyanine complexes (np-GaPc, p-GaPc, np-InPc and p-InPc) and their quaternized derivatives (Qnp-GaPc, Qp-GaPc, Qnp-InPc and Qp-InPc) have been synthesized and characterized. The quaternized complexes show excellent solubility in water, which makes them potential photosensitizer for use in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. Photophysical and photochemical properties of these phthalocyanines were investigated. General trends are described for quantum yields of photodegradation, fluorescence and fluorescence lifetimes as well as singlet oxygen quantum yields of these compounds. In this study, the effects of the position of the substituents, the nature of the metal ion and quaternization of the substituents on the photophysical and photochemical parameters of the gallium(III) and indium(III) phthalocyanines are also reported. This study also presented the ionic gallium(III) and indium(III) phthalocyanines strongly bind to bovine serum albumin (BSA). Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.