Quinoline Endoperoxides for Mitochondria Targeted Singlet Oxygen Delivery.

Controlled release of singlet oxygen from chemical sources is becoming an interesting path for eliciting apoptotic death of cancer cells. In this work, we present the synthesis and characterization of hitherto unknown class of aromatic endoperoxides, namely quinoline endoperoxides. Quinolines, especially after quaternization, show significant targeting of mitochondria. This leads to more effective cytotoxicity in cancer cell cultures suggesting a potential utility in cancer therapy.