A Chlorin-Based Nanoscale Metal–Organic Framework for Photodynamic Therapy of Colon Cancers

We report here the rational design of the first chlorin-based nanoscale metal-organic framework (NMOF), DBC-UiO, with much improved photophysical properties over the previously reported porphyrin-based NMOF, DBP-UiO. Reduction of the DBP ligands in DBP-UiO to the DBC ligands in DBC-UiO led to a 13 nm red shift and an 11-fold increase in the extinction coefficient of the lowest-energy Q band. While inheriting the crystallinity, stability, porosity, and nanoplate morphology of DBP-UiO, DBC-UiO sensitizes more efficient (1)O2 generation and exhibits significantly enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy on two colon cancer mouse models as a result of its improved photophysical properties. Both apoptosis and immunogenic cell death contributed to killing of cancer cells in DBC-UiO-induced PDT.