Zinc phthalocyanine encapsulation via thiol-ene miniemulsion polymerization and in vitro photoxicity studies

Abstract

This work aimed at the encapsulation of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) in poly(thioether-ester) (PTEe) nanoparticles via thiol-ene miniemulsion polymerization using a biobased diene monomer and two different thiols as comonomers. ZnPc – PTEe nanoparticles presented an average diameter between 120 and 160 nm and high encapsulation efficiency for both thiols. The release profile of ZnPc from PTEe nanoparticles presented an initial burst effect followed by a slow release rate. Studies of cytotoxicity showed that the PTEe nanoparticles protected erythrocytes against ZnPc decreasing hemolytic damages. Moreover, a low concentration of ZnPc loaded in PTEe nanoparticles ensured the phototoxic effect on the MDA-MB231.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Biobased monomer
• photodynamic therapy
• polymeric
• nanoparticle
• thiol-ene miniemulsion polymerization
• zinc phthalocyanine

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. The authors would like also to thank Laboratório Central de Microscopia Eletrônica at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (LCME-UFSC) for TEM images and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq; Brazil) for the financial support.