Highly effective self-assembled porphyrin MOCs nanomaterials for enhanced photodynamic therapy in tumor

Porphyrins and their derivatives are excellent photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT). The modification of porphyrin molecules into metal-organic cages (MOCs) is a viable strategy to improve their bioavailability. In this work, MOC C66 based on porphyrin was synthesised by a one-pot self-assembly method. The three-dimensional structure of the metal-organic cage ameliorated the aggregation and self-quenching of porphyrins and increased the molar absorption coefficient in the visible light region, which enhanced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) yield of porphyrins and effectively improved the efficiency of photodynamic therapy. ROS generation ability tests in solution confirmed the improved reactive oxygen capacity of the cage, which showed greater phototoxicity to HeLa and MCF-7 cells in vitro, suggesting a new strategy for future modifications of the simple synthesis of porphyrins as photosensitizers.