Glycosylated and rhodamine-conjugated tetraphenylethylene: a type I and II reactive oxygen species generator for photodynamic therapy.

A lactosylated and AIE-active multifunctional photosensitizer (Lac-TR) was synthesized. Lac-TR can self-assemble into fluorescent nanoparticles (Lac-TRs) to achieve fluorescence self-reporting during photodynamic therapy and induce pyroptosis under both normoxia and hypoxia to kill HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]