Synthesis of Spiropyran for Light-Induced Vesicle Lysing

Abstract

Photoinitiated site-specific drug release is a new frontier of research with significant implications for therapeutic applications. An area of research that has become increasingly central is the development of vesicles that selectively release their contents upon light activation. The membranes of these vesicles are a key focus of this research. To enable site-specific release, the membranes can be designed to incorporate photoinitiated compounds that induce membrane lysis in response to specific light wavelengths. One such compound is spiropyran, which undergoes a ring-opening reaction upon exposure to intense 400 nm light, converting it into merocyanine and causing a transition from a non-polar to a polar state. This structural alteration disrupts the membrane integrity, resulting in vesicle lysis and facilitating site-specific drug release. This research focuses on the successful synthesis of spiropyran, which was confirmed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis and validated by demonstrating its ability to undergo a photo-initiated ring opening