Abstract

The catalytic generation of H 2 in living cells provides a method for antioxidant therapy. In this study, an [FeFe]-hydrogenase mimic [Ru + Fe 2 S 2 @F127(80)] was synthesized by self-assembling polymeric pluronic F-127, catalytic [Fe 2 S 2 ] sites, and photosensitizer Ru(bpy) 3 2+ . Under blue light irradiation, hydrated protons were photochemically reduced to H 2 , which increased the local pH in living cells (HeLa cells). The generated H 2 was subsequently used as an antioxidant to decrease reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in living cells (HEK 293T, HepG2, MCF-7, and HeLa cells). Our findings revealed that the proliferation of HEK 293T cells increased by a factor of about six times, relative to that of other cells (HepG2, MCF-7, and HeLa cells). Intracellular ROS and pH levels were then monitored using fluorescent cell imaging. Our study showed that cell imaging can be used to evaluate the ability of Ru + Fe 2 S 2 @F127 to eliminate oxidative stress and prevent ROS-related diseases.