Photocatalysis for applications in living cells

Bioorthogonal catalysis has emerged as a potent tool for introducing new-to-nature reactions in living organisms, facilitating diverse biological applications such as fluorescence imaging, drug synthesis and protein labeling. While transition metal catalysts have been employed for catalyzing reactions in living cells, achieving precise control over reactions remains a challenge. Photocatalysis provides a controllable approach to catalyzing reactions in both temporal and spatial dimensions within living organisms, constituting a burgeoning research field. However, this approach faces numerous challenges, including the development of new photocatalytic reactions that operate under physiological conditions, implementing photocatalysis for targeting cancer cells, and utilizing red or near-infrared (NIR) light for catalysis. In response to these challenges, our research involves designing diverse transition metal catalysts to enable efficient and controlled catalysis targeting cancer cells, thereby holding promise for potential disease treatment.
The central focus in this thesis is on photocatalysis in living cells. We comprehensively explore the expansion of novel photocatalytic reactions to physiological conditions, targeting photocatalysis in cancer cells and the utilization of long-wavelength red light and NIR light photocatalysis. The research described in this thesis contributes to the development of efficient, targeted and controllable catalytic systems, which provides tools to deepen our understanding of biological processes and contributing to the treatment of disease.