PhD in chemistry (M/F) – Rotaxane-based Molecular Switches for Antibacterial Photodynamic Therapy

The control of physical or chemical phenomena resulting from the absorption of light by matter is a major challenge for the scientific community. In this context, the development of stimulus-responsive molecular switches able to act as fluorescent probes or photosensitizers for the destruction of pathogens are structures sought in photomedicine to develop a spatiotemporal approach to treatment. This is at the heart of the project, which aims to prepare a new family of Bodipy dyes incorporated in a rotaxane-type architecture. These structures will be composed of three key elements: 1) a macrocycle from the Bodipy dye family, 2) a linear molecular fragment with two stations for the macrocycle and 3) a stopper containing heavy atoms. The modulation of the distance between the Bodipy and the heavy atoms upon acid addition will play a key role in selecting the fluorescence or the photosensitizing properties. In addition to the synthetic aspect, photophysical studies and antibacterial tests will be carried out to assess the therapeutic potential of the molecules. The project is expected to be facilitated by preliminary results and should lead to ground-breaking results both in synthetic chemistry and in the development of new therapeutic agents.

The project aims to develop novel rotaxanes for applications in antibacterial photodynamic therapy. The project has three main objectives: the synthesis and characterization of a library of switchable rotaxanes, the study of the effect of external heavy atoms that give rotaxanes the ability to produce reactive oxygen species, and applications of these architectures in antibacterial photodynamic therapy.