Due to their photoproperties and easy chemical functionalisations, phthalocyanines are amongst the most promising advanced photosensitisers for photodynamic therapy of cancer.
A novel bis(ferrocenyl chalcone) silicon(IV) phthalocyanine has been prepared in which the disulfide linker can be cleaved by dithiothreitol. The separation of the ferrocenyl quencher and the phthalocyanine core greatly enhances the fluorescence emission, singlet oxygen production and in vitro photocytotoxicity.