Antimicrobial PDT mediated by fullerenes and their derivatives

Antimicrobial PDT is an emerging alternative to antibiotics motivated by the worldwide growing problems with multi-drug resistant pathogens. The photodynamic activity of chemical compounds such as dyes towards microorganisms was first published at the turn of 20th century and it is based on the concept that a non-toxic dye or PS which, localized preferentially in the microorganism and subsequently activated by low doses of visible light of an appropriate wavelength to be absorbed will generate reactive oxygen species that are toxic to the target microorganisms. Processes in which absorption of light by a PS induces chemical changes in another molecule...