Conjugates of 5-(4-Carboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin With Gold Nanoparticles: The Influence of Chemical Bond Type on Photophysical Properties

Abstract

The influence of covalent and noncovalent bonds with the polymer shell on the chemical and physical properties of hybrid nanostructures, such as electrokinetic potential, fluorescence, reactive oxygen species generation, and optical absorption, has been studied. The hybrid structures were tested for cytotoxicity and bioimaging ability. Conjugates and associates were formed due to covalent and noncovalent bonds being formed between the low-symmetry AAAB-type tetraphenylporphyrin and the polymer shell on the surface of gold nanoparticles. It has been shown that when a covalent bond is formed between the porphyrin molecule and the surface of nanoparticles, luminescence increases compared to free forms. The colloidal solution of associates is more stable, while the photophysical properties of both objects are comparable.