Photophysical properties and localization of chlorins substituted with methoxy groups, hydroxyl groups and alkyl chains in liposome-like cellular membrane

Abstract

Some of the photophysical properties (stationary absorbance and fluorescence, fluorescence decay times and singlet oxygen quantum yields) of chlorins substituted with methoxy groups, hydroxyl groups and hydrocarbonic chains were studied in ethanol and dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopies. The photophysical behaviors of the chlorins in liposomes like cellular membrane were compared with those obtained from chlorin–liposome systems delivered to Jurkat cells in order to select potent photosensitizers for the photodynamic treatment of cancer. The localization of the studied chlorins inside liposomes was found to depend strongly on the substituents of chlorins. Absorption spectra of chlorins embedded in DPPC–liposomes have been recorded in the temperature range of 20–70 °C. It is demonstrated that the location of the chlorin molecules depends on the phase state of the phospholipids. These observations are confirmed by the fluorescence lifetimes, singlet oxygen lifetimes and singlet oxygen quantum yields results.