Research Projects

Ambient stable radical anions (RAs) are promising materials for photothermal therapy, near-IR optical applications, and scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). They can be generated through electron transfer processes, but the stability of RAs in oxygenated aqueous medium remains a scientific challenge. Rylene imides (RIs) are highly electron deficient and have low reduction potential, making them excellent candidates for RA generation. The functionalization at N-imide, bay-, and peri- positions alters the stacking and stability of RAs. This proposal aims to synthesize rylene imide derivatives with enhanced conjugation and electron-deficient properties, which are expected to generate RAs with enhanced stability desirable for photothermal therapy and scavenging ROS molecules in tumor cells. The proposed conjugated rylene derivatives will be reacted with commercially available active methylene compounds, subjected to electron-transfer reactions from thiols, amines, and photochemical processes to generate the respective RAs in aqueous media. The structure, stability, and optical properties of these RAs will be investigated through various techniques, including 1H NMR, UV-Vis, fluorescence, Rheometer, DLS, EPR, CV, CD, and microscopic techniques. The interaction of these RAs towards ROS will also be studied. The selected and most active RA derivatives will be subjected to in-vivo studies in live cells, with biological experiments performed by Prof. Satwinderjeet Kaur, co-PI in the project.