Our lab has developed a novel chemotherapeutic strategy that combines the mode of cisplatin with photodynamic therapy (PDT).  The principle of PDT is to use light to activate a photosensitizer that produces a reactive species that ultimately results in cell death, but is nontoxic in the dark.  The potential PDT compounds utilizing 1,10� phenanthroline (phen) and 2,2'�biquinoline (biq), along with photolabile acetonitrile ligands, have been synthesized and characterized.  These compounds include [Ru(phen)2(MeCN)2]2+, [Ru(phen)(biq)(MeCN)2]2+, and [Ru(biq)2(MeCN)2]2+.  All three complexes undergo photoinduced ligand exchange of the acetonitrile ligands with water when irradiated with the appropriate wavelength, and the reaction is monitored by electronic absorption spectroscopies, forming a diaqua complex similar to activated cisplatin.  [Ru(biq)2(MeCN)2]2+ undergoes ligand exchange and binds to DNA when irradiated with > 610 nm light, which is in the therapeutic window for PDT.  Photolysis ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy studies will also be presented.

Ruthenium(II) compounds as potential photodynamic therapeutic agents

244th National Meeting (2012)

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