Photodynamic therapy and its evolving innovation

The use of light for the treatment of ailments has a long history with recordings of its use going back as far as ancient times. The continued study of this application for therapy has led to the development of photodynamic therapy (PDT), where photosensitizers can be excited and generate reactive oxygen species for a range of treatments with the most popular currently being its use in the treatment of cancer. In this work, we detail the history of PDT development and showcase the innovative design and progress of PDT with particular attention to the implementation and use of porous materials like metal-organic frameworks, covalent-organic frameworks, and nanoscale porous polymers which have been instrumental to its recent success while also providing an outlook of what may come for the technique. Together, this review aims at providing readers with a broad view of PDT as an application, its history of innovation and its derivative functions to give readers a foundational understanding and view of its future potential.