Synthesis, characterization luminiscence studies and microbial activity of ethylenediamine ruthenium (II) complexes with dipyridophenazine ligands.

Three symmetric ligands 7-methyl dipyrido-[3,2-a;2',3'-c]phenazine (dppz-CH(3)), 7-nitro dipyrido-[3,2-a;2',3'-c]phenazine (dppz-NO(2)) and benzo[i]dipyrido-[3,2-a;2',3'-c]phenazine (dppn) and their ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(en)(2)(L)][ClO(4)](2) (en= ethylenediamine), L= dppz-CH(3), dppz-NO(2) and dppn have been synthesized and characterized by IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR and Mass spectra. The interactions of these complexes with calf thymus DNA have been investigated by spectrophotometric, spectrofluorimetric, circular dichroism, viscosity and thermal denaturation studies. As the planar extension of the intercalative ligand increases, the interaction of the complex with DNA increases, indicating that the size and shape of the intercalalative ligand has a marked effect on the strength of interaction. The plot of log K versus log [Na(+)] yield a slope of -1.26, -1.53, -1.60 for the complexes 1, 2 and 3 respectively. These three complexes have been found to promote the cleavage of plasmid pBR 322 DNA upon irradiation. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010