One of the most significant limitations of photodynamic therapy is its reduced efficacy in hypoxic microenvironments, which are typical of the majority of tumors. This work demonstrates that indolenine heptamethine cyanines with different substituents in the polymethine chain and at the terminal heterocycles are effective superoxide generators that can be activated in the near-infrared range. The introduction of an indene moiety into the polymethine chain results in a significant enhancement in photostability compared to dyes with a cyclohexene moiety or an unsubstituted polymethine chain.
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