Synlett 2020; 31(12): 1129-1134
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1707100
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© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

One-Photon Upconversion-Like Photolysis: A New Strategy to Achieve Long-Wavelength Light-Excitable Photolysis

Wen Lv
a   Laboratory of Molecular Engineering and Nanomedicine, Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong-Karolinska Institutet Collaboration in Regenerative Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. of China
,
Weiping Wang
a   Laboratory of Molecular Engineering and Nanomedicine, Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong-Karolinska Institutet Collaboration in Regenerative Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. of China
b   Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. of China   Email: wangwp@hku.hk
› Author Affiliations
This work was supported by Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Fund (Start-up Fund) of The University of Hong Kong, Seed Fund for Basic Research of The University of Hong Kong (No. 201711159053), Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme (No. 2017A050506016), and Young Scientists Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81803469).
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 15 March 2020

Accepted after revision: 07 April 2020

Publication Date:
20 May 2020 (online)


Abstract

Photolysis reactions are widely utilized to release desired molecules under the control of light irradiation in the fields of photochemistry, biology, and drug delivery. In biological and medical applications, it is highly desired to increase the excitation wavelength for activating photolysis reactions, since the long-wavelength light (red or near-infrared light) has deep tissue penetration depth and low photocytotoxicity. Here, we briefly summarize current strategies of achieving long-wavelength light-excitable photolysis. We highlight our recently developed strategy of one-photon upconversion-like photolysis. Compared with the multiphoton upconversion-based photolysis, the one-photon strategy has a simpler energy transfer process and a higher ­energy utilization efficiency, providing a new path of activating photolysis reactions with increased excitation wavelength and photolysis quantum yield.