Bioconjugatable, PEGylated hydroporphyrins for photochemistry and photomedicine. Narrow-band, red-emitting chlorins

Chromophores that absorb and emit in the red spectral region (600-700 nm), are water soluble, and bear a bioconjugatable tether are relatively rare yet would fulfill many applications in photochemistry and photomedicine. Here, three molecular designs have been developed wherein stable synthetic chlorins-analogues of chlorophylls-have been tailored with PEG groups for use in aqueous solution. The designs differ with regard to order of the installation (pre/post-formation of the chlorin macrocycle) and position of the PEG groups. Six PEGylated synthetic chlorins (three free bases, three zinc chelates) have been prepared, of which four are equipped with a bioconjugatable (carboxylic acid) tether. The most effective design for aqueous solubilization entails facial encumbrance where PEG groups project above and below the plane of the hydrophobic disk-like chlorin macrocycle. The chlorins possess strong absorption at ∼400 nm (B band) and in the red region (Q_y band); regardless of wavelength of excitation, emission occurs in the red region. Excitation in the ∼400 nm region thus provides an effective Stokes shift of >200 nm. The four bioconjugatable water-soluble chlorins exhibit Q_y absorption/emission in water at 613/614, 636/638, 698/700 and 706/710 nm. The spectral properties are essentially unchanged in DMF and water for the facially encumbered chlorins, which also exhibit narrow Q_y absorption and emission bands (full-width-at-half maximum of each <25 nm). The water-solubility was assessed by absorption spectroscopy over the concentration range ∼0.4 μM-0.4 mM. One chlorin was conjugated to a mouse polyclonal IgG antibody for use in flow cytometry with compensation beads for proof-of-principle. The conjugate displayed a sharp signal when excited by a violet laser (405 nm) with emission in the 620-660 nm range. Taken together, the designs described herein augur well for development of a set of spectrally distinct chlorins with relatively sharp bands in the red region.