Photodynamic Polymers Constituted by Porphyrin Units as Antibacterial Materials

BALLATORE M. BELÉN; PÉREZ, M. EUGENIA; SANTAMARINA, SOFÍA C.; DURANTINI, JAVIER E.; MILANESIO M. ELISA; DURANTINI, EDGARDO N.

Photochem

MDPI - Publisher of Open Access Journals

Año: 2022

2673-7256

Photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms has emerged as a promising strategy to killand eradicate pathogens. In this work, two polymers, TCP-P and ZnTCP-P, were synthesized byoxidative polymerization of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis [3-(N-ethylcarbazoyl)]porphyrin and its complex withZn(II). Solid polymers consist of rods (diameter 100 nm, length ~100?500 nm) that form microporousstructures on a surface. UV-visible absorption spectra in solution showed the Soret and Q bandscharacteristic of the corresponding constitutional porphyrins. In addition, the polymers presentedtwo red emission bands with quantum yields FF = 0.11 for TCP-P and FF = 0.050 for ZnTCP-P. Thesecompounds sensitized the production of singlet molecular oxygen with quantum yields of FD~0.3.Thus, the spectroscopic and photodynamic properties of the porphyrin units were maintained in theconjugates. The photodynamic activity induced by both polymers was tested to inactivate S. aureus.In cell suspensions, TCP-P was more effective than ZnTCP-P in killing bacteria. Viable S. aureus cellswere not detected using 4 M TCP-P after 20 min of irradiation. Moreover, both polymers showed ahigh photocytotoxic activity to eradicate S. aureus cells attached to a surface. The results indicate thatthese conjugated polymers can act as effective antimicrobial agents to photoinactivate pathogens