Development of PORphyrin-triPhenylPosphonium PhotoSensitizers for Photodynamic Inactivation of microorganisms

The PORP2PS project has as the main goal to develop new derivatives based on the conjugation of easily accessible porphyrin scaffolds with triphenylphosphonium salts and to exploit their efficacy as non-immobilized and immobilized photosensitizers (PS) in the photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of pathogenic microorganisms, namely the multidrugresistant (MDR) ones. With the rise of antibiotic resistance, PDI is considered a promising alternative. The project focuses on positively charged photosensitizers to target Gram-negative bacteria more effectively. Current methods for creating such photosensitizers involve complex synthetic routes, but PORP2PS proposes simpler methodologies for their conjugation. The combination of porphyrin and triphenylphosphonium units is expected to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and disrupt bacterial membranes, leading to highly effective photo-antimicrobial molecules. Immobilization of these photosensitizers in solid matrices, including magnetic nanoparticles and polysaccharide-based films, is considered essential for practical and environmentally friendly applications.