Study of DNA light switch Ru(II) complexes: synthesis, characterization, photocleavage and antimicrobial activity

The three Ru(II) complexes of [Ru(phen)(2)dppca](2+) (1) [Ru(bpy)(2)dppca](2+) (2) and [Ru(dmb)(2)dppca](2+) (3) (where phen = 1,10 phenanthroline, bpy = 2,2-bipyridine, dmb = 2 ,2-dimethyl 2',2'-bipyridine and polypyridyl ligand containing a single carboxylate functionality dppca ligand (dipyridophenazine-11-carboxylic acid) have been synthesized and characterized. These complexes have been shown to act as promising calf thymus DNA intercalators and a new class of DNA light switches, as evidenced by UV-visible and luminescence titrations with Co(2+) and EDTA, steady-state emission quenching by [Fe(CN)(6)](4-) and KI, DNA competitive binding with ethidium bromide, viscosity measurements, and DNA melting experiments. The results suggest that 1, 2, and 3 complexes bind to CT-DNA through intercalation and follows the order 1 > 2 > 3. Under irradiation at 365 nm, the three complexes have also been found to promote the photocleavage of plasmid pBR322 DNA.