Phototoxicity of strained Ru(ii) complexes: is it the metal complex or the dissociating ligand?†
Abstract
A photochemically dissociating ligand in Ru(bpy)2(dmphen)Cl2 [bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine; dmphen = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline] was found to be more cytotoxic on the ML-2 Acute Myeloid Leukemia cell line than Ru(bpy)2(H2O)22+ and prototypical cisplatin. Our findings illustrate the potential potency of diimine ligands in photoactivatable Ru(II) complexes.