Inorganic compounds are promising for visible light-activated anti-cancer therapies. Among them ruthenium polypyridyl complexes are of particular interest due to their tunable photophysical and photochemical properties. In vitro studies have shown that Ru-based complexes in their lowest-lying 3MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) excited state can undergo two different reactions. The first one is a photodynamic therapy (PDT) type II reaction, where energy transfer occurs in the presence of oxygen, thus producing highly reactive singlet oxygen that can trigger cell death. The second is a photosubstitution reaction, where thermal population of a nearby 3MC (metal-centered) state results in the release of a ligand and a cytotoxic aqua metal complex, also to induce cell death. Our research focuses on using non-toxic monodentate thioether ligands to cage photosubstitutionally active and phototoxic ruthenium complexes. In this presentation we will briefly describe some complexes of interest as well as the protocol and LED-based irradiation system developed to study these light-activated metal complexes in vitro.

Light-activatable Ru-based anticancer complexes in a new light

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.