抄録
Functional cellular substrates for localized cell stimulation by small molecules provide an opportunity to control and monitor cell–signaling networks chemically in time and space. However, despite improvements in the controlled delivery of bioactive compounds, the precise localization of gaseous biomolecules at the single–cell level remains challenging. Here we target nitric oxide (NO), a crucial signaling molecule with site–specific and concentrationdependent activities, and we report a synthetic strategy for developing spatiotemporally controllable NO–releasing platforms based on photoactive porous coordination polymers (PCPs). By organizing molecules with poor reactivity into PCP structures we observe increased photoreactivity and adjustable release via light irradiation. We embed photoactive PCP crystals in a biocompatible polymer matrix and achieve precisely controlled NO delivery at the cellular level via localized two-photon laser activation. The biological relevance of the exogenous NO produced by the PCPs is evidenced by intracellular change in calcium concentration, mediated by NO–responsive plasma–membrane channel proteins.
