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Over the past decade, luminescent transition metal complexes have attracted considerable
attention as versatile platforms for biomedical applications, owing to their photophysical and
photochemical properties. Their long-lived excited states, large Stokes shifts, and high photostability
facilitate high-contrast imaging and real-time monitoring in complex biological systems while
minimizing interference from cellular autofluorescence and self-quenching. In addition, these
complexes exhibit pronounced sensitivity to local microenvironmental parameters, such as pH, polarity,
and redox conditions, enabling selective responses to biochemical alterations associated with
pathological states. Motivated by these unique attributes, the present work focuses on the design and
development of a series of trifluoromethyl-functionalized benzimidazole-based cyclometalated
iridium(III) complexes with tunable pH-responsive photophysical properties and theranostic
capabilities. These complexes have been rationally engineered to integrate organelle-targeted
luminescence imaging, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and redox modulation of biologically relevant
small molecules. Furthermore, the complexes have been designed to undergo selective activation under
disease-relevant microenvironments, particularly the acidic conditions associated with cancer cells and
bacterial infections, thereby enhancing diagnostic precision and therapeutic efficacy. |