Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Porphyrin and Metallosurfactant as a Drug Nanocontainer Design

The combined method of treating malignant neoplasms using photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy is undoubtedly a promising and highly effective treatment method. The development and establishment of photodynamic cancer therapy is closely related to the creation of sensitizers based on porphyrins. The present study is devoted to the investigation of the spectroscopic, aggregation, and solubilization properties of the supramolecular system based on 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TSPP) and lanthanum-containing surfactant (LaSurf) in an aqueous medium. The latter is a complex of lanthanum nitrate and two cationic amphiphilic molecules of 4-aza-1-hexadecylazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bromide. The mixed TSPP–LaSurf complexes can spontaneously assemble into various nanostructures capable of binding the anticancer drug cisplatin. Morphological behavior, stability, and ability to drug binding of nanostructures can be tailored by varying the molar ratio and the concentration of components. The guest binding is shown to be additional factor controlling structural rearrangements and properties of the supramolecular TSPP–LaSurf complexes.