Photodynamic Applications of Porphyrin-Based Photosensitizers

Porphyrin-based photosensitisers are macrocyclic compounds renowned for their strong absorption in the visible region and efficient energy transfer to molecular oxygen, yielding reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as singlet oxygen. Their tunable photophysical properties, biocompatibility and structural versatility have driven widespread exploration in photodynamic therapy (PDT), environmental remediation, antimicrobial treatment and sensing platforms. In PDT, light-activated porphyrins selectively localise in diseased tissue, inducing oxidative damage to target cells. In environmental and industrial contexts, porphyrin photosensitisation enables degradation of pollutants and microbial disinfection under mild conditions. Advances in chemical modification, supramolecular assembly and hybrid device integration continue to expand the functional scope of porphyrin-based systems across medicine, water treatment, catalysis and analytical chemistry. Global efforts focus on enhancing light-harvesting efficiency, photostability and oxygen delivery, while minimising off-target effects and material toxicity. Recent interdisciplinary work underscores the potential for porphyrin derivatives to address pressing challenges in healthcare and environmental sustainability.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated the integration of photocatalysis and electrochemical sensing using a perfluorinated zinc phthalocyanine derivative. Under visible‐light illumination, this photosensitiser generates singlet oxygen from air without added reagents and oxidises analytes to electrochemically detectable products. The device exploits on/off light switching for baseline correction and benefits from C–F bond stability against self-oxidation. This approach attains nano-level detection limits—down to 20 nM of amoxicillin in microlitre samples—while offering the selectivity and reproducibility characteristic of enzyme-inspired biosensors.

Photodynamic Applications of Porphyrin-Based Photosensitizers publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photodynamic applications of porphyrin-based photosensitizers across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photosensitizer: A molecule that absorbs light and transfers energy to generate reactive chemical species.

Singlet oxygen: An electronically excited form of molecular oxygen characterised by high reactivity towards organic substrates.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive molecules derived from oxygen, including singlet oxygen, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals.

Quantum yield: The ratio of the number of photochemical events to the number of photons absorbed, indicating efficiency of reactive species generation.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT): A treatment modality that employs light-activated photosensitisers to induce selective oxidative damage in target tissues.

References

1. Singlet oxygen-based electrosensing by molecular photosensitizers. Nature Communications (2017).
2. Synthesis of a Rare Water-Soluble Silver(II)/Porphyrin and Its Multifunctional Therapeutic Effect on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Molecules (2022).
3. Photodegradation of free base and zinc porphyrins in the presence and absence of oxygen. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences (2023).
4. Homogeneous Photosensitized Oxidation for Water Reuse in Cellars: A Study of Different Photosensitizers. Sustainability (2023).