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Updated: Jan 28, 2026

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
Published on: April 10, 2015
Structural Investigation into the Threading Intercalation of a Chiral Dinuclear Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complex
Simon D Fairbanks1,2, Craig C Robertson1, F Richard Keene3
1Department of Chemistry , University of Sheffield , Brook Hill , Sheffield , S3 7HF , U.K.
Abstract:
Herein we report the separation of the three stereoisomers of the DNA light-switch compound [{Ru(bpy)2}2(tpphz)]4+ (tpphz = tetrapyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c:3″,2″-h:2‴,3‴-j]phenazine) by column chromatography and the characterization of each stereoisomer by X-ray crystallography. The interaction of these compounds with a DNA octanucleotide d(GCATATCG).d(CGATATGC) has been studied using NMR techniques. Selective deuteration of the bipyridyl rings was needed to provide sufficient spectral resolution to characterize structures. NMR-derived structures for these complexes show a threading intercalation binding mode with slow and chirality-dependent rates. This represents the first solution structure of an intercalated bis-ruthenium ligand. Intriguingly, we find that the binding site selectivity is dependent on the nature of the stereoisomer employed, with Λ RuII centers showing a better intercalation fit.
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