Ruthenium(II) complexes containing 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline and 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine as ancillary ligands: synthesis, characterization and DNA-binding

Two new Ruthenium (II) polypyridyl complexes [Ru(dmp)2(ipbp)](ClO4)2 (1) (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, ipbp = 3-(1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)-4H-1-banzopyran-2-one) and [Ru(dmb)2(ipbp)](ClO4)2 (2) (dmb = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FAB-MS, ES-MS and 1H NMR and cyclic voltammetric methods. The DNA-binding behaviors of these complexes were investigated by spectroscopic titration, viscosity measurements, and thermal denaturation. Absorption titration and thermal denaturation studies reveal that these complexes are moderately strong binders of calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA). Viscosity measurements show that the complexes 1 and 2 interact with CT-DNA by intercalative mode. The DNA-binding affinity of the complex 2 is larger than that of complex 1.