Coumarin-Based\nACQ-AIE Conversion Photosensitizer\nfor Mitochondrial Imaging and Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Most of the traditional fluorescent molecules have the\nadvantages\nof high fluorescence quantum yield, good stability, and excellent\nstructural adjustability, but they exhibit the characteristics of\nfluorescence quenching caused by aggregation, which restricts their\napplication in aqueous solutions or solids. The excellent luminescence\nproperties and photosensitive potential of aggregation-induced emission\n(AIE) materials in a condensed state have made them widely concerned\nin the scientific research field, so it is very challenging to regulate\nthe transformation of traditional aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ)\nfluorophores into AIE fluorophores. In this study, the traditional\ncoumarin fluorophore was used as a matrix. After conjugating the triphenylamine\nAIE group, the triphenylphosphine cation was linked through the alkyl\nchain to obtain a molecular probe <b>NCTPP</b> with excellent\nAIE characteristic, water solubility, mitochondrial green light imaging,\nchemotherapy and photodynamic therapy capabilities. As far as we know,\nit was the first time that the photosensitivity of coumarin fluorescent\nmolecules was imparted by the ACQ-AIE conversion method.