No description available.

The diploma thesis compares the photophysical, photooxidative and photocytotoxic properties of four polymer nanofabrics with encapsulated 5,10,15,20 - meso - tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP). The main focus of the work lies especially in the study of the effect of polymer oxygen permeability on the ability of nanofabrics to produce singlet oxygen and the utilization of nanofabrics for measurement of the polymer oxygen permeability and polymer oxygen diffusion coefficients. A possible application of nanofabrics in the framework of oxygen detection, photooxidation of substrates and photodesinfection has been studied as well.

This dissertation describes our study of a photophysical process that leads to ultrafast generation of triplet excitons following photoexcitation, singlet exciton fission, in three different acene dimers and diradicaloids. In pentacene and tetracene dimers, we investigate their mechanism of singlet fission. In a series of diradicaloids, we study the relation between molecular structure, diradical character and the suitability for singlet fission. In the first two chapters we explore singlet fission in pentacene dimer. We demonstrate fast and highly efficient intramolecular singlet fission, consisting of two covalently attached pentacene units. The singlet fission pathway is governed by the energy gap between singlet and charge-transfer states, which change dynamically with molecular geometry but are primarily set by the side group. The process exhibits a sensitivity to solvent polarity and competes with geometric relaxation in the singlet state, while subsequent triplet decay is strongly dependent on conformational freedom. The near orthogonal arrangement of the pentacene units is unlike any structure currently proposed for efficient singlet fission and points toward new molecular design rules. Furthermore, these results are the first to demonstrate the role of charge-transfer states in singlet fission and highlight the importance of solubilising groups to optimise excited-state photophysics. In the next chapter, we examine singlet fission in tetracene dimer, where singlet fission is energetically unfavourable. We demonstrate triplet yield as high as 190% can be achieved via fission from higher singlet excited states mediated by charge-transfer states. The outcomes of this study provide deeper insight into the role of hot singlet states in singlet fission and point toward less stringent molecular design rules. In the last chapter, we shift our focus on a new class of molecules, diradicaloid molecules. We explore a family of zethrene molecules, with tuneable diradical character, and demonstrate their general ability to undergo rapid singlet fission via spin-entangled and emissive triplet-pair state TT. A wide range of zethrene molecules are found to be suitable for singlet fission, with additional benefits of high absorption coefficients and photo-/chemical stability.

O licopeno é um composto bioativo que tem recebido atenção especial devido aos seus efeitos terapêuticos no combate e prevenção de doenças como câncer e doenças cardiovasculares. No entanto, por ser insolúvel em água, muito instável na presença de luz, oxigênio e calor, e altamente reativo, sua aplicação nos alimentos é limitada, o que prejudica o acesso do consumidor a produtos naturais como fontes de antioxidantes em substituição aos antioxidantes sintéticos. Assim, a utilização de nanocápsulas de compostos naturais, com ação antioxidante, pode ser considerada uma das tecnologias mais promissoras para disponibilizar compostos mais estáveis e disponíveis ao consumidor. Nesse contexto, nanocápsulas de licopeno extraído do tomate foram desenvolvidas e caracterizadas com o objetivo de conferir solubilidade aparente e estabilidade ao carotenoide em diferentes condições de armazenamento e processamento. O tipo de nanopartícula, a técnica de encapsulamento e o material de parede foram selecionados a partir de um levantamento na literatura, o qual originou os artigos de revisão apresentados. As nanocápsulas de licopeno (LYC-LNC) foram sintetizadas pela técnica de deposição interfacial do polímero pré-formado poli (Ɛcaprolactona) (PCL), mantidas em meio aquoso e caracterizadas com relação aos parâmetros de diâmetro médio, potencial zeta, índice de polidispersão, eficiência de encapsulação, morfologia, pH, cor, viscosidade e concentração de licopeno. Além disso, a estabilidade das nanocápsulas foi avaliada durante armazenamento a 5 °C e 25 °C, em experimentos de fotosensibilização a 5, 15 e 25°C em condições de saturação com ar e N2; e durante aquecimento a 60, 70 e 80 °C na ausência de luz. LYC-LNC apresentaram diâmetro médio de 193 ± 4,7 nm, índice de polidispersão de 0,069 ± 0,02, potencial zeta de -11,5 ± 0,4 mV, viscosidade de 1,09 ± 0,03 mPa.s e pH médio de 6,01 ± 0,04. Durante o armazenamento a 25°C, a suspensão LYC-LNC foi considerada estável pela ausência de alterações significativas no diâmetro, potencial zeta e apesar da redução significativa do pH, cor e concentração de licopeno, as nanocápsulas apresentaram estabilidade satisfatória com aproximadamente 50% do conteúdo total de licopeno após 14 dias de estocagem. Quando as amostras foram armazenadas a 5°C, LYC-LNC mostraram a mesma estabilidade para os parâmetros citados, exceto em relação à concentração do licopeno que teve uma melhora significativa com 40% do conteúdo total do carotenoide após 84 dias de estocagem. A degradação do licopeno durante a fotosensibilização e aquecimento seguiu uma cinética de degradação de primeira ordem e apresentaram energia de ativação de 67,0 kcal/mol e 24,9 kcal/mol respectivamente, valores superiores aos relatados pela literatura. Com base nos resultados obtidos, o presente estudo demonstrou que o nanoencapsulamento é uma técnica que pode, além de aumentar a solubilidade aparente do licopeno em meio aquoso, conferir melhoria na estabilidade em diferentes condições e por isso as LYC-LNC representam uma alternativa promissora para expandir o uso do licopeno em processos industriais, para melhorar a retenção deste composto em diferentes matrizes alimentares. / Lycopene is a bioactive compound that has received special attention due to their therapeutic effects in combating and preventing of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, lycopene is water insoluble, very unstable in presence of light, oxygen and heat and highly reactive, characteristics that can limit its application in food, affecting the access of consumer for natural products that can serve as sources of antioxidants, substituting synthetic antioxidants. Thus, the use of nanocapsules containing natural compounds with antioxidant action can be considered one of the most promising technologies to provide compounds more stable and available to the consumer. In this context, nanocapsules containing lycopene extracted from tomato have been characterized and developed with the objective of conferring apparent solubility and stability of this carotenoid in different storage and processing conditions. The type of nanoparticles, the encapsulation technique and the wall material were selected from a research in the literature, which resulted in review articles. The lycopene nanocapsules (LYC-LNC) were synthesized by the interfacial deposition of preformed poly(Ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) maintained in an aqueous medium and characterized regarding to parameters such as mean diameter, zeta potential, polydispersity index, encapsulation efficiency, morphology, pH, color, viscosity and lycopene concentration. Furthermore, the stability of nanocapsules during storage was evaluated at 5 °C and 25 °C, in experiments of photosensitization at 5, 15 and 25 °C in saturated conditions with air and N2; and during heating at 60, 70 and 80 °C in the absence of light. LYC-LNC had an average diameter of 193 ± 4.7 nm, polydispersity of 0.069 ± 0.02, zeta potential of -11.5 ± 0.4 mV, viscosity of 1.09 ± 0.03 mPa.s and pH value of 6.01 ± 0.04. During storage at 25 °C, the LYC-LNC suspension remained stable and no significative changes in diameter and zeta potential were observed, and despite of significant reductions in pH, color and lycopene concentration, nanocapsules showed satisfactory stability containing approximately 50% the total content of lycopene after 14 days of storage. However, when the samples were stored at 5 °C, LYC-LNC showed the same stability for the mentioned parameters, except for the lycopene concentration that had a significant improvement, presenting approximately 40% of the total carotenoid content after 84 days of storage. The degradation of lycopene during photosensitization and heating followed a kinetic of first order and showed activation energy of 67.0 kcal/mol and 24.9 kcal/mol respectively, activation energy higher than those reported in the literature. Based on these results, this study demonstrated that the nanoencapsulation is a technique which can, in addition to increasing apparent solubility of lycopene in aqueous medium, confer better stability under different conditions and thus, LYC-LNC represent a promising alternative to expand the use of lycopene in industrial processes by improving the retention of this compound in different food matrices.

Spin interactions play a key role in the function of molecular materials from naturally occurring biological complexes to synthetic materials for light-harvesting and light-emission. This thesis investigates the spin interactions of spin-1 triplet excitons formed by singlet fission. Singlet fission produces two triplet excitons from one light-induced singlet state and holds promise to enable solar energy generation beyond traditional efficiency limits. As the lifetime of triplet pairs depends sensitively on their spin degree of freedom, in this thesis we deploy spin-sensitive techniques to understand the interactions and evolution of triplet pairs. After introducing the relevant theoretical and experimental background underlying singlet fission and the role of spin, we describe the first observation of strongly exchange coupled, high-spin triplet-pair states ($S=2$) in a solid-state organic semiconductor and show that the singlet fission process allows for the formation of long-lived, strongly coupled spin-two states. We then describe the development and use of photoluminescence-detected avoided level-crossings in applied magnetic fields to quantify the strength of exchange coupling and identify specific optical signatures of exchange-coupled triplet pairs. Using high magnetic fields ($\leq\mbox{60 T}$) we isolate and measure the exchange coupling and optical signatures of multiple distinct triplet pairs in the same material. Finally, we probe the mechanisms of formation and decay of spin polarization from triplet pair states using pulsed spin resonance. The measured dynamics are consistent with polarization driven by fluctuations in exchange coupling between pairs and spin-orbit mediated decay of triplet excitons to the ground state. The combined measurements of the spin parameters and polarization dynamics of triplet pairs from ns to ms timescales provides a quantitative picture of the spin states generated by singlet fission.

Fullerenes have been the focus of significant research effort and curiosity for their unique physicochemical and photochemical properties since their discovery almost 30 years ago. C60 fullerene in particular has received tremendous attention, due to its prevalence in fullerene production and chemical stability. While ambitious prospective applications for C60 have been ubiquitous, the extremely hydrophobic nature of fullerenes and consequent aggregation at the nano scale has hampered many endeavors. Researchers, therefore, have turned their attention to the functionalization of fullerenes to add hydrophilic moieties for applications in aqueous media. It is known that functionalizing the C60 cage alters its innate physicochemical and photochemical properties, but how these changes translate to the properties of C60 aggregates, often termed nC60, is not well understood. Functionalized fullerenes present an intriguing environmental dichotomy. On the one hand C60 has excellent potential as a novel singlet oxygen producing disinfection tool, and on the other the potential toxicological effects of functionalized C60 are largely unknown. With thousands of possible functionalities, a mechanistic understanding of the effects of functionalization is essential. To explore the effects of functionalization on fullerene photochemistry in relevant systems, three types of functional groups were selected and obtained each in series of mono-, bis-, and tris-functionalized forms. Two functionalities contrasted the presence or lack of a quaternary ammonium group and the third was the sterically bulkier phenyl-C61 butyic acid methylester, which is commonly used in polymer photovoltaics. The fullerenes were characterized for innate photochemical properties in organic solvents using UV/Vis, laser flash photolysis, and photochemical degradation experiments. Aqueous aggregates of each derivative were additionally characterized for their physical and chemical properties by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All derivatives were photoactive when dispersed molecularly in organic solvents, but only the cationic fullerenes showed significant photoactivity as aqueous aggregates. Differences in aggregate size or crystallinity were unable to explain the differential photoactivity between derivatives, contrary to two established hypotheses. Antimicrobial properties were probed using innate toxicity tests and photoinactivation experiments. Again, only the cationic fullerenes were found to exert photochemical action towards Escherichia coli or MS2 bacteriophages. The cationic fullerenes were also innately toxic to E. coli due to the presence of quaternary ammonium moieties. In order to establish a mechanistic understanding of the photochemistry of functionalized C60 aggregates, simulations of the molecular dynamics (MD) were employed and compared with empirical evidences. Simulations provided theoretical values for C60-O2, C60-C60, and C60-H2O interactions for each derivative. Trends observed in the MD results were compared to photochemical characterizations as described above and Raman spectroscopic measurements of C60’s effect on localized water structure. High resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to provide empirical evidence of the C60-C60 interactions. Overall, fullerene aggregate photochemistry is likely driven by aggregate morphology and by intermolecular interactions between fullerenes, water, and O2.

Aminocyclitols have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years because of diverse biological activities exhibited by them and also synthetic usefulness in the synthesis of other natural compounds or pharmaceuticals. In this study, novel synthetic strategies leading to aminocyclitol derivatives were investigated and the synthesis of aminotetrol derivative (113) was achieved successfully. Moreover, by the use of singlet oxygen reactions having considerable synthetic utilities in organic chemistry we developed new synthetic methodologies for the aminoquercitol and aminoconduritol derivatives (114 and 115). 3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-isobenzofuran-1,3- dione (111) and 3a,7a-dihydro-isobenzofuran-1,3-dione (112) were synthesized from easily available starting materials in order to be used as key compounds. The anhydride moiety in key compounds provided us to obtain hydroxymethyl and amine groups in target molecules by performing Curtius rearrangement. The introduction of iii hydroxyl groups into the molecules was achieved by both singlet oxygen and cisdihydroxylation of osmium tetroxide. As a result of this, we were able to synthesize aminotetrol derivative and we had considerable advance in the synthesis of aminoconduritol and aminoquercitol derivatives.

Title: Spectroscopic Study of Singlet Oxygen in Cells and Model Systems Author: Marek Scholz Department: Department of Chemical Physics and Optics Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Roman Dědic, Ph.D., KChFO Abstract: Singlet oxygen (1O2), the first excited state of molecular oxygen, plays many important roles in nature and technology. The work is aimed at development of novel methods for monitoring of 1O2 in cells and other biological samples. Two main ap- proaches were employed: direct detection of the very weak near-infrared phospho- rescence of 1O2, and detection of Singlet Oxygen-Feedback Delayed Fluorescence (SOFDF), which is the emission from the photosensitizer induced by energy transfer from 1O2. The first part of the thesis introduces the basic concepts of photophysics and photochemistry of 1O2: its generation, deactivation, applications, and overview of detection methods. The second part presents the experimental results. Wide-field mi- crospectroscopic detection of 1O2 phosphorescence enabled us to acquire 1O2-based images and near-infrared spectra from single cells incubated with photosensitizers. However, the direct detection suffers from the inherently very low phosphorescence quantum yield. It is shown that SOFDF may overcome this problem and become a promising alternative tool for studies of 1O2 and...

O licopeno é um composto bioativo que tem recebido atenção especial devido aos seus efeitos terapêuticos no combate e prevenção de doenças como câncer e doenças cardiovasculares. No entanto, por ser insolúvel em água, muito instável na presença de luz, oxigênio e calor, e altamente reativo, sua aplicação nos alimentos é limitada, o que prejudica o acesso do consumidor a produtos naturais como fontes de antioxidantes em substituição aos antioxidantes sintéticos. Assim, a utilização de nanocápsulas de compostos naturais, com ação antioxidante, pode ser considerada uma das tecnologias mais promissoras para disponibilizar compostos mais estáveis e disponíveis ao consumidor. Nesse contexto, nanocápsulas de licopeno extraído do tomate foram desenvolvidas e caracterizadas com o objetivo de conferir solubilidade aparente e estabilidade ao carotenoide em diferentes condições de armazenamento e processamento. O tipo de nanopartícula, a técnica de encapsulamento e o material de parede foram selecionados a partir de um levantamento na literatura, o qual originou os artigos de revisão apresentados. As nanocápsulas de licopeno (LYC-LNC) foram sintetizadas pela técnica de deposição interfacial do polímero pré-formado poli (Ɛcaprolactona) (PCL), mantidas em meio aquoso e caracterizadas com relação aos parâmetros de diâmetro médio, potencial zeta, índice de polidispersão, eficiência de encapsulação, morfologia, pH, cor, viscosidade e concentração de licopeno. Além disso, a estabilidade das nanocápsulas foi avaliada durante armazenamento a 5 °C e 25 °C, em experimentos de fotosensibilização a 5, 15 e 25°C em condições de saturação com ar e N2; e durante aquecimento a 60, 70 e 80 °C na ausência de luz. LYC-LNC apresentaram diâmetro médio de 193 ± 4,7 nm, índice de polidispersão de 0,069 ± 0,02, potencial zeta de -11,5 ± 0,4 mV, viscosidade de 1,09 ± 0,03 mPa.s e pH médio de 6,01 ± 0,04. Durante o armazenamento a 25°C, a suspensão LYC-LNC foi considerada estável pela ausência de alterações significativas no diâmetro, potencial zeta e apesar da redução significativa do pH, cor e concentração de licopeno, as nanocápsulas apresentaram estabilidade satisfatória com aproximadamente 50% do conteúdo total de licopeno após 14 dias de estocagem. Quando as amostras foram armazenadas a 5°C, LYC-LNC mostraram a mesma estabilidade para os parâmetros citados, exceto em relação à concentração do licopeno que teve uma melhora significativa com 40% do conteúdo total do carotenoide após 84 dias de estocagem. A degradação do licopeno durante a fotosensibilização e aquecimento seguiu uma cinética de degradação de primeira ordem e apresentaram energia de ativação de 67,0 kcal/mol e 24,9 kcal/mol respectivamente, valores superiores aos relatados pela literatura. Com base nos resultados obtidos, o presente estudo demonstrou que o nanoencapsulamento é uma técnica que pode, além de aumentar a solubilidade aparente do licopeno em meio aquoso, conferir melhoria na estabilidade em diferentes condições e por isso as LYC-LNC representam uma alternativa promissora para expandir o uso do licopeno em processos industriais, para melhorar a retenção deste composto em diferentes matrizes alimentares. / Lycopene is a bioactive compound that has received special attention due to their therapeutic effects in combating and preventing of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, lycopene is water insoluble, very unstable in presence of light, oxygen and heat and highly reactive, characteristics that can limit its application in food, affecting the access of consumer for natural products that can serve as sources of antioxidants, substituting synthetic antioxidants. Thus, the use of nanocapsules containing natural compounds with antioxidant action can be considered one of the most promising technologies to provide compounds more stable and available to the consumer. In this context, nanocapsules containing lycopene extracted from tomato have been characterized and developed with the objective of conferring apparent solubility and stability of this carotenoid in different storage and processing conditions. The type of nanoparticles, the encapsulation technique and the wall material were selected from a research in the literature, which resulted in review articles. The lycopene nanocapsules (LYC-LNC) were synthesized by the interfacial deposition of preformed poly(Ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) maintained in an aqueous medium and characterized regarding to parameters such as mean diameter, zeta potential, polydispersity index, encapsulation efficiency, morphology, pH, color, viscosity and lycopene concentration. Furthermore, the stability of nanocapsules during storage was evaluated at 5 °C and 25 °C, in experiments of photosensitization at 5, 15 and 25 °C in saturated conditions with air and N2; and during heating at 60, 70 and 80 °C in the absence of light. LYC-LNC had an average diameter of 193 ± 4.7 nm, polydispersity of 0.069 ± 0.02, zeta potential of -11.5 ± 0.4 mV, viscosity of 1.09 ± 0.03 mPa.s and pH value of 6.01 ± 0.04. During storage at 25 °C, the LYC-LNC suspension remained stable and no significative changes in diameter and zeta potential were observed, and despite of significant reductions in pH, color and lycopene concentration, nanocapsules showed satisfactory stability containing approximately 50% the total content of lycopene after 14 days of storage. However, when the samples were stored at 5 °C, LYC-LNC showed the same stability for the mentioned parameters, except for the lycopene concentration that had a significant improvement, presenting approximately 40% of the total carotenoid content after 84 days of storage. The degradation of lycopene during photosensitization and heating followed a kinetic of first order and showed activation energy of 67.0 kcal/mol and 24.9 kcal/mol respectively, activation energy higher than those reported in the literature. Based on these results, this study demonstrated that the nanoencapsulation is a technique which can, in addition to increasing apparent solubility of lycopene in aqueous medium, confer better stability under different conditions and thus, LYC-LNC represent a promising alternative to expand the use of lycopene in industrial processes by improving the retention of this compound in different food matrices.

O licopeno é um composto bioativo que tem recebido atenção especial devido aos seus efeitos terapêuticos no combate e prevenção de doenças como câncer e doenças cardiovasculares. No entanto, por ser insolúvel em água, muito instável na presença de luz, oxigênio e calor, e altamente reativo, sua aplicação nos alimentos é limitada, o que prejudica o acesso do consumidor a produtos naturais como fontes de antioxidantes em substituição aos antioxidantes sintéticos. Assim, a utilização de nanocápsulas de compostos naturais, com ação antioxidante, pode ser considerada uma das tecnologias mais promissoras para disponibilizar compostos mais estáveis e disponíveis ao consumidor. Nesse contexto, nanocápsulas de licopeno extraído do tomate foram desenvolvidas e caracterizadas com o objetivo de conferir solubilidade aparente e estabilidade ao carotenoide em diferentes condições de armazenamento e processamento. O tipo de nanopartícula, a técnica de encapsulamento e o material de parede foram selecionados a partir de um levantamento na literatura, o qual originou os artigos de revisão apresentados. As nanocápsulas de licopeno (LYC-LNC) foram sintetizadas pela técnica de deposição interfacial do polímero pré-formado poli (Ɛcaprolactona) (PCL), mantidas em meio aquoso e caracterizadas com relação aos parâmetros de diâmetro médio, potencial zeta, índice de polidispersão, eficiência de encapsulação, morfologia, pH, cor, viscosidade e concentração de licopeno. Além disso, a estabilidade das nanocápsulas foi avaliada durante armazenamento a 5 °C e 25 °C, em experimentos de fotosensibilização a 5, 15 e 25°C em condições de saturação com ar e N2; e durante aquecimento a 60, 70 e 80 °C na ausência de luz. LYC-LNC apresentaram diâmetro médio de 193 ± 4,7 nm, índice de polidispersão de 0,069 ± 0,02, potencial zeta de -11,5 ± 0,4 mV, viscosidade de 1,09 ± 0,03 mPa.s e pH médio de 6,01 ± 0,04. Durante o armazenamento a 25°C, a suspensão LYC-LNC foi considerada estável pela ausência de alterações significativas no diâmetro, potencial zeta e apesar da redução significativa do pH, cor e concentração de licopeno, as nanocápsulas apresentaram estabilidade satisfatória com aproximadamente 50% do conteúdo total de licopeno após 14 dias de estocagem. Quando as amostras foram armazenadas a 5°C, LYC-LNC mostraram a mesma estabilidade para os parâmetros citados, exceto em relação à concentração do licopeno que teve uma melhora significativa com 40% do conteúdo total do carotenoide após 84 dias de estocagem. A degradação do licopeno durante a fotosensibilização e aquecimento seguiu uma cinética de degradação de primeira ordem e apresentaram energia de ativação de 67,0 kcal/mol e 24,9 kcal/mol respectivamente, valores superiores aos relatados pela literatura. Com base nos resultados obtidos, o presente estudo demonstrou que o nanoencapsulamento é uma técnica que pode, além de aumentar a solubilidade aparente do licopeno em meio aquoso, conferir melhoria na estabilidade em diferentes condições e por isso as LYC-LNC representam uma alternativa promissora para expandir o uso do licopeno em processos industriais, para melhorar a retenção deste composto em diferentes matrizes alimentares. / Lycopene is a bioactive compound that has received special attention due to their therapeutic effects in combating and preventing of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, lycopene is water insoluble, very unstable in presence of light, oxygen and heat and highly reactive, characteristics that can limit its application in food, affecting the access of consumer for natural products that can serve as sources of antioxidants, substituting synthetic antioxidants. Thus, the use of nanocapsules containing natural compounds with antioxidant action can be considered one of the most promising technologies to provide compounds more stable and available to the consumer. In this context, nanocapsules containing lycopene extracted from tomato have been characterized and developed with the objective of conferring apparent solubility and stability of this carotenoid in different storage and processing conditions. The type of nanoparticles, the encapsulation technique and the wall material were selected from a research in the literature, which resulted in review articles. The lycopene nanocapsules (LYC-LNC) were synthesized by the interfacial deposition of preformed poly(Ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) maintained in an aqueous medium and characterized regarding to parameters such as mean diameter, zeta potential, polydispersity index, encapsulation efficiency, morphology, pH, color, viscosity and lycopene concentration. Furthermore, the stability of nanocapsules during storage was evaluated at 5 °C and 25 °C, in experiments of photosensitization at 5, 15 and 25 °C in saturated conditions with air and N2; and during heating at 60, 70 and 80 °C in the absence of light. LYC-LNC had an average diameter of 193 ± 4.7 nm, polydispersity of 0.069 ± 0.02, zeta potential of -11.5 ± 0.4 mV, viscosity of 1.09 ± 0.03 mPa.s and pH value of 6.01 ± 0.04. During storage at 25 °C, the LYC-LNC suspension remained stable and no significative changes in diameter and zeta potential were observed, and despite of significant reductions in pH, color and lycopene concentration, nanocapsules showed satisfactory stability containing approximately 50% the total content of lycopene after 14 days of storage. However, when the samples were stored at 5 °C, LYC-LNC showed the same stability for the mentioned parameters, except for the lycopene concentration that had a significant improvement, presenting approximately 40% of the total carotenoid content after 84 days of storage. The degradation of lycopene during photosensitization and heating followed a kinetic of first order and showed activation energy of 67.0 kcal/mol and 24.9 kcal/mol respectively, activation energy higher than those reported in the literature. Based on these results, this study demonstrated that the nanoencapsulation is a technique which can, in addition to increasing apparent solubility of lycopene in aqueous medium, confer better stability under different conditions and thus, LYC-LNC represent a promising alternative to expand the use of lycopene in industrial processes by improving the retention of this compound in different food matrices.