Design and synthesis of ionic conjugated porphyrins with remarkable singlet oxygen generation for in vitro photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising non-invasive cancer treatment, but its efficacy depends on photosensitizer performance. Porphyrin-based photosensitizers face challenges including poor water solubility, limited photodynamic effects, and weak near-infrared absorption. In this study, a new conjugated porphyrin (Por) was synthesized by coupling zinc porphyrin with pyridine through alkyne bonds. The hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains were incorporated into the porphyrin framework