Photochemical Carbamate Scission Redefines Metal-Based PhotoCORMs through Multi-Output Activation
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Metal-based photoCORMs (Photoactivatable carbon monoxide-releasing molecules) have traditionally relied on photolabile M–CO bonds, constraining modular design and limiting opportunities for integrating additional functions. Here we report a modular metalbased platform in which CO generation is encoded within a photolabile carbamate rather than a M–CO bond, enabling visible-light-controlled, spatiotemporal CO release while preserving the synthetic flexibility to integrate multimodal functions within a single molecular architecture. As a proof of concept, we constructed a fluorogenic, CA-IX-targeted Pt(IV) complex in which a naphthalimide chromophore is coupled to the metal centre through a carbamate CO-releasing module. Photoexcitation of the chromophore initiates a programmed cascade comprising carbamate scission for CO release along with fluorogenic activation of the CA-IX-inhibiting dye, and reduction of Pt(IV) to cytotoxic Pt(II), validating the modular design. More broadly, this work demonstrates that carbamate photolysis provides a broadly applicable route to programmable, stimuli-controlled CO release, independent of metal–carbonyl chemistry, integrated with modular multifunctional therapeutic architectures.
Source: ChemRxiv
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: G3566663159
OpenAlex ID: W7208770273