Turning photons into drugs: phthalocyanine-based photosensitizers as efficient photoantimicrobials

Galstyan A

Abstract

One of the most promising alternatives for treating bacterial infections is antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), making the synthesis and application of new photoactive compounds called photosensitizers (PS) a dynamic research field. In this regard, phthalocyanine (Pc) derivatives offer great opportunities due to their extraordinary light-harvesting and tuneable electronic properties, structural versatility, and stability. In this review, rather than focusing on synthetic strategies, I intended to overview current progress in the structural design strategies for Pcs that could achieve effective photoinactivation of microorganisms. In addition, the review provides a concise look into the recent developments and applications of nanocarrier-based Pc delivery systems.