A macromolecular cyclometalated gold(iii) amphiphile displays long-lived emissive excited state in water: self-assembly and in vitro photo-toxicity

Abstract

We report an amphiphilic macromolecule containing a cyclometalated gold(III) complex that self-assembles into nano-sized micelles and also displays a long-lived emissive triplet excited state with a lifetime of 84 μs in degassed water. This amphiphilic Au^III complex exhibits good biocompatibility and activity towards in vitro photo-toxicity, as well as enhanced permeability and retention effects in vivo.