Red light-driven generation of reactive oxygen species for the targeted oxidation of glioma cells and thiols over covalent organic framework

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential for biological processes like cell signaling and chemical processes like organic oxidation. Moreover, the sufficient generation of ROS plays a significant role in targeted tumor treatments or oxidation of organics. Herein, a hydrazone-linked porphyrin covalent organic framework (Por-DETH-COF) is developed for red light-induced generation of ROS like singlet oxygen (1O2) or superoxide (O2•−) to undertake different but targeted oxidations. First, 1O2 is adopted in photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the oxidation of glioma cells. The PDT efficiency of Por-DETH-COF on the apoptosis of glioma cells is explored through flow cytometry and western blot assay. The apoptosis rate of glioma cells significantly increases over Por-DETH-COF under 660 nm red light illumination, suggestive of the potency of 1O2. Second, O2•− is employed for the targeted oxidation of thiols. A series of thiols could be efficiently oxidized to corresponding disulfides over Por-DETH-COF under 660 nm red light illumination, indicative of the significance of O2•−. This work highlights the potential of covalent organic frameworks in generating ROS for precise medical applications of complex chemical environments.