Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes; their interaction with DNA and their role as sensitisers for its photocleavage

John M. Kelly, David J. McConnell, Colm Ó’hUigín, Alessandro Tossi, Andrée Kirsch‐De Mesmaeker, Axel Masschelein, J. Nasielski

Journal of the Chemical Society Chemical Communications · 1987 · 105 citations · 0 references

Concepts

Abstract

The excited state of the 1,4,5,8-tetra-azaphenanthrene complex, [Ru(TAP)3]2+, which unlike [Ru(phen)3]2+(phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) or [Ru(bipy)3]2+(bipy = 2,2′-bipyridyl) is strongly quenched upon binding to poly[d(G–C)], is found to be much more effective than either [Ru(phen)3]2+ or [Ru(bipy)3]2+ in causing cleavage of the DNA backbone.