Distinguishing Molecular Mechanical Action from Photothermal and Photodynamic Behavior

Beckham, Jacob L.; Bradford, Thomas S.; Ayala-Orozco, Ciceron; Santos, Ana L.; Arnold, Dallin; van Venrooy, Alexis R.; García-López, Víctor; Pal, Robert; Tour, James M.

Abstract

Molecular motors (MM) are molecular machines, or nanomachines, that rotate unidirectionally upon photostimulation and perform mechanical work on their environment. In the last several years, it has been shown that the photomechanical action of MM can be used to permeabilize lipid bilayers, thereby killing cancer cells and pathogenic microorganisms and controlling cell signaling. The work contributes to a growing acknowledgement that the molecular actuation characteristic of these systems is useful for various applications in biology. However, the mechanical effects of molecular motion on biological materials are difficult to disentangle from photodynamic and photothermal action, which are also present when a light-absorbing fluorophore is irradiated with light. Here, an overview of the key methods used by various research groups to distinguish the effects of photomechanical, photodynamic, and photothermal action is provided. It is anticipated that this discussion will be helpful to the community seeking to use MM to develop new and distinctive medical technologies that result from mechanical disruption of biological materials.

Citation

Beckham, J. L., Bradford, T. S., Ayala-Orozco, C., Santos, A. L., Arnold, D., van Venrooy, A. R., García-López, V., Pal, R., & Tour, J. M. (2024). Distinguishing Molecular Mechanical Action from Photothermal and Photodynamic Behavior. Advanced Materials, 36(7), Article 2306669. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202306669

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 11, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 7, 2023
• Publication Date: Feb 15, 2024
• Deposit Date: Sep 19, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 7, 2023
• Journal: Advanced Materials
• Print ISSN: 0935-9648
• Electronic ISSN: 1521-4095
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 7
• Article Number: 2306669
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202306669
• Keywords: photomechanical, photodynamic therapy, reactive oxygen species, biological materials, molecular machines
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1741562