Thienopyrrole-expanded BODIPY as a potential NIR photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy

The synthesis and characterization of a highly photostable bromo-substituted BODIPY dye (I) fused-ring-expanded with thienopyrrole moieties is reported. The results of MTT assays and flow cytometric analyses in living HeLa cells demonstrate that I has a high singlet oxygen quantum yield (Phi(Delta) = 0.63) and exhibits photocytotoxicity upon irradiation in the NIR region making it potentially suitable for use in PDT.