Polymeric particles containing seleno-BODIPYs for applications as fluorescent sensors in biological systems

• Grant number: 23/01092-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date until: April 15, 2023
• End date until: July 14, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Alcindo Aparecido dos Santos
• Grantee: Beatriz dos Santos Cugnasca
• Supervisor: Carlos Lodeiro-Espino
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/07634-1 - Synthesis of hydrosoluble seleno- and telluro-BODIPY as fluorescent sensors for biological applications, BP.DD

Abstract

This project consists of the search for new applications of seleno-BODIPY derivatives, previously synthesized during the doctoral project in Brazil (FAPESP: 2019/07634-1). The synthesized compounds present chalcogenated groups directly attached to the BODIPY nucleus in such a way that the presence of Se atoms may cause the suppression of fluorescence due to Photoinduced electron Transfer, PeT). In this way, when in the presence of analytes that are capable of oxidizing it (at corresponding chalcogenoxides/chalgenones), coordinate or even replace the chalcogen group, it is expected that the fluorescence of the compound will be restored, allowing its use as a fluorescence on/off sensor. Therefore, the reactivity of these seleno-BODIPYs will be studied in this project against analytes of biological interest, including endogenous reactive oxygen or nitrogen species (ROS, RNS), amino acids containing thiol groups and/or metal ions, andother biomolecules of interest, such as proteins. In search of applications in biological systems, water solubility is a crucial factor and often limits the in vivo applications of new compounds. Aiming circumvent the solubility issue, a recent and innovative strategy that will be used in this project is the encapsulation of hydrophobic Se-BODIPY in polymeric matrices as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), etc., to allow a colloidal dispersion in water. This is a very advantageous and promising method since, in addition to eliminating the low solubility, it can still reduce external interference, reduce toxicity, maintain photostability of the chromophore in tests on biological systems, in addition to allowing its use as a biomarker in controlled drug release assays. Due to the presence of chalcogenated groups, Se-BODIPYs may still attached to polymeric films to perform analyzes in the solid state, similarly to the carried out in solution. (AU)