A Family of Potent Ru(II) Photosensitizers with Enhanced DNA Intercalation: Bimodal Photokillers.

A new family of Ru(II)-based photosensitizers was synthesized and systematically characterized. The ligands employed to coordinate the ruthenium metal center were the commercially available 2,2'-bipyridine and a pyridine-quinoline hybrid bearing an anthracene moiety. The complexes obtained carry either PF6- or Cl(-) counterions. These counterions determine the complexes' hydrophobic or hydrophilic character, respectively, therefore dictating their solubility in biologically related media. All photosensitizers exhibit characteristic, relatively strong and wide UV-Vis absorption spectral profiles. Their high efficiency in generating cytotoxic singlet oxygen was established (up to ΦΔ ~0.8). Moreover, the interaction of these photosensitizers with double-stranded DNA was studied fluoro- and photospectroscopically and their binding affinities were found to be of the order of 3 × 10(7)  M(-1) . All complexes are photocytotoxic to DU145 human prostate cancer cells. The highest light-induced toxicity was conferred by the photosensitizers bearing Cl(-) counterions, probably due to the looser ionic "chaperoning" of Cl(-) , in comparison to PF6-, leading to higher cell internalization.