Photoactivated antifungal polymers prepared by PET-RAFT polymerization.

ABSTRACT: Rising invasive fungal infections necessitate the rapid development of new, highly efficient antifungal platforms with proven biocompatibility. We report a new class of photoactivated antifungal polymers that incorporate cationic, hydrophobic, and hydrophilic functionalities with a highly efficient photosensitizer. Our approach relies on the use of an acrylate-functionalized zinc(ii)-tetraphenylporphyrin (acryl-ZnTPP) monomer, that performs a dual role: it acts as both the photocatalyst for PET-RAFT polymerization, enabling controlled polymerization, and as an embedded photosensitizer capable of generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon light irradiation. Under green or red-light exposure, these polymers show 4-8-fold lower minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and up to 8-fold lowe

SUBMITTER: Gmedhin H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12706916 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature