Water-dispersible glycosylated poly(2,5′-thienylene)porphyrin-based nanoparticles for antibacterial photodynamic therapy

Here we report the preparation of water-dispersible glycosylated poly(2,5'-thienylene) porphyrin based nanoparticles by a nanoprecipitation method and demonstrate the application of these nanoparticles in antibacterial photodynamic therapy. The diameter of the nanoparticles is in the range of 50-80 nm and the resulting nanoparticles are stable in water without precipitation at least for a month. They have high singlet oxygen efficiency and display light-triggered biocidal activity against both Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, E. coli) and Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, B. subtilis). Upon white light irradiation for 10 min with a flux of 22 mW cm(-2) of the E. coli suspension incubated with NPs (18 mu g mL(-1)), a killing efficiency of 99% is achieved, whereas in the dark the effect is recorded as only around 8%.