CONJUGATED POLYMERS FOR TWO-PHOTON BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Two-photon photodynamic therapy (TP-PDT) is a promising noninvasive cancer treatment with high spatial resolution and deep tissue penetration. However, the lack of efficient two-photon photosensitizers limits the practical application of TP-PDT. Conjugated polymers are known to be a class of promising materials with excellent light harvesting properties. The purpose of this thesis is to synthesize and develop conjugated polymers for TP-PDT and two-photon imaging applications. First, water soluble polyfluorene-based conjugated polymers are synthesized and studied for amplification of two-photon properties of photosensitzers through fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Second, photosensitizer doped conjugated polymer nanoparticles are developed and studied for enhancement of two-photon induced singlet oxygen generation. Then biocompatible nanoparticles are prepared and demonstrated for TP-PDT with two-photon imaging capability. Third, novel water soluble conjugated polymers with large two-photon absorption cross sections are synthesized and developed as novel two-photon photosensitzers for TP-PDT and TP imaging applications. At last, high efficient conjugated polymer based nanophotosenstizers are developed for targeted TP-PDT.