Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy with asymmetrical cationic or neutral metallophthalocyanines conjugated to amino-functionalized zinc oxide nanoparticles (spherical or pyramidal) against planktonic and biofilm microbial cultures

•Neutral and cationic zinc and indium substituted phthalocyanines are linked to ZnO nanoparticles.•The conjugates exhibited good photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy activity.•log reduction values of ∼ 8 were obtained for planktonic cells of S. aureus, E. coli, and C. albicans.•For biofilms log reduction values >3 for both S. aureus and E. coli were obtained. The synthesis and characterization of neutral zinc and indium substituted mercaptobenzothiazole substituted phthalocyanines (Pcs) and their respective cationic derivatives are presented. The phthalocyanines were further covalently linked to two differently shaped amino-functionalized ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs): namely nanospheres (NH2-ZnONSp), and nanopyramids (NH2-ZnONPy), to form corresponding nanoconjugates. The photophysicochemical properties of each nanocomposite were determined, and the Pc-ZnONPs produced high singlet oxygen quantum yields. The photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy activity was determined using planktonic and biofilm cells of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Candida albicans (C. albicans). The conjugates of the cationic Pc derivatives with ZnONPy produced the highest log reduction values (∼ 8 and above) with the complete elimination of all planktonic cells at 0.45 kJ/cm2 for S. aureus and at 0.9 kJ/cm2 for E. coli, and C. albicans. For biofilms log reduction values >3 for both S. aureus and E. coli were obtained. The conjugates of the cationic Pc derivatives with NH2-ZnONPy showed great potential in eradicating mixed microbial biofilms. [Display omitted]