Ru(II) complexes in antibacterial phototherapy: emerging strategies for combating bacterial infections

Drug resistant bacterial infections pose a serious threat to human life and health, and have become some of the leading causes of death worldwide. Thanks to its remarkable advantages including high efficiency, spatiotemporal controllability, non-invasiveness, low resistance development, and broad-spectrum activity, phototherapy based on photo-antimicrobials has great potential for combating drug-resistant bacterial infections. Ru(II) complexes represent the most extensively studied class of antibacterial photosensitizers, combining superior photophysical and photochemical properties with ease of synthesis. This paper firstly introduces the photophysical properties of Ru(II) complexes. Furthermore, the development of complexes with diverse structures and their light-mediated antibacterial activities as well as antibacterial mechanisms of action are reviewed. Finally, the challenges and prospects of Ru(II) complexes in antibacterial phototherapy applications are discussed, providing a valuable reference for future research in related fields.