Spectroscopic investigation of a hyperbranched cationic amylopectin derivative as a multi-guest molecular host for targeted delivery of a photosensitizer to pancreatic cancer cells.

•A hyperbranched amylopectin derivative as a host for photosensitizer and folic acid.•The complex showed high phototoxicity against human pancreatic cancer cells.•A method to study hyperbranched polymers as multi-functional drug delivery carriers.