Ruthenium(II) Complexes of Redox-Related, Modified Dipyridophenazine Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization, and DNA Interaction

The synthesis, spectral characterization, and electrochemical properties of [Ru(phen)2(qdppz)]2+, which incorporates a quinone-fused dipyridophenazine ligand (naphtho[2,3-a]dipyrido[3,2-h:2‘,3‘-f]phenazine-5,18-dione, qdppz), are described in detail. Chemical or electrochemical reduction of [Ru(phen)2(qdppz)]2+ leads to the generation of [Ru(phen)2(hqdppz)]2+a complex containing the hydroquinone form (hqdppz = 5,18-dihydroxynaphtho[2,3-a]dipyrido[3,2-h:2‘,3‘-f]phenazine) of qdppz. Absorption and viscometric titration, thermal denaturation, topoisomerase assay, and differential-pulse voltammetric studies reveal that [Ru(phen)2(qdppz)]2+ is an avid binder of calf-thymus DNA due to a strong intercalation by the ruthenium-bound qdppz, while [Ru(phen)2(hqdppz)]2+ binds to DNA less strongly than the parent “quinone”-containing complex. DNA-photocleavage efficiencies of these complexes also follow a similar trend in that the MLCT-excited state of [Ru(phen)2(qdppz)]2+ is more effective than that of [Ru(phen)2(hqd...