Polysaccharide–porphyrin–fullerene supramolecular conjugates as photo-driven DNA cleavage reagents

Abstract

Two water-soluble polysaccharide–porphyrin–fullerene supramolecular conjugates were constructed from the non-covalent incorporation of triphenyl Zn-porphyrin-modified β-cyclodextrins, adamantyl-modified hyaluronate and C₆₀. Significantly, these supramolecular conjugates, which exist as cross-linked or discrete nanoparticles with a diameter of 50–200 nm, can completely cleave closed supercoiled DNA to nicked DNA under light irradiation.