Photodynamic Applications in Aqueous Systems
Summary
Photodynamic processes in water-based environments harness light-activated compounds to generate reactive oxygen species that can inactivate microorganisms, eradicate tumour cells or degrade pollutants. Central to these applications are photosensitiser molecules that absorb specific wavelengths of light and transfer energy to molecular oxygen to produce singlet oxygen or other reactive species. The design of efficient delivery systems, such as nanoparticles, hydrogels or emulsions, tackles challenges of solubility, stability and targeted activation in aqueous media. Recent advances highlight the refinement of photosensitiser aggregation states, optimisation of light penetration and integration of biocompatible carriers. This field encompasses biomedical therapies for cancer and antimicrobial resistance alongside environmental remediation of organic contaminants, reflecting its broad global significance and multidisciplinary nature.
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Photodynamic Applications in Aqueous Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in photodynamic applications in aqueous systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Photosensitiser: a molecule that absorbs light and initiates photochemical reactions in the presence of oxygen.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS): highly reactive molecules derived from oxygen, including singlet oxygen and free radicals, capable of inducing cellular damage.
Singlet oxygen: an electronically excited form of molecular oxygen with enhanced reactivity towards organic substrates.
Hydrogel: a three-dimensional polymer network that absorbs and retains large amounts of water, used as a carrier for therapeutic agents.
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles: porous silica particles with pore sizes of 2–50 nm, designed to encapsulate and deliver photosensitisers in aqueous media.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT): a treatment modality combining photosensitisers and light to generate ROS for targeted biological or chemical effects.
References
- Evaluation of chlorophyll-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy on cancer cell lines. Lasers in Medical Science (2024).
- Photodynamic Therapy Directed to Melanoma Skin Cancer by Thermosensitive Hydrogel Containing Chlorophyll A. Pharmaceuticals (2023).
- Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy with Ligularia fischeri against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in Caenorhabditis elegans model. Applied Biological Chemistry (2023).
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