The population and reactivity of two low-lying excited states in [Ru(bpy)(2)(dppn)](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, dppn = benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine), a weakly emissive (3)MLCT state and a long-lived ligand-centered (3)pipi* state, lead to efficient photoinduced DNA damage. Irradiation with visible light results in nearly complete DNA cleavage within 30 s (lambda(irr) > or = 455 nm), likely from the combined action of guanine oxidation and the production of reactive oxygen species derived from (1)O(2).

Ru(II) complexes possessing new tridentate ligands with extended pi systems, pydppx (3-(pyrid-2'-yl)-11,12-dimethyl-dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) and pydppn (3-(pyrid-2'-yl)-4,5,9,16-tetraaza-dibenzo[a,c]naphthacene), were synthesized and characterized. The investigation of the photophysical properties of the series [Ru(tpy)(n)(L)(2-n)](2+) (L = pydppx, pydppn, n = 0-2) reveals markedly different excited state behavior among the complexes. The Ru(II) complexes possessing the pydppx ligand are similar to the pydppz (3-(pyrid-2'-yl)dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) systems, with a lowest energy metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited state with lifetimes of 1-4 ns. In contrast, the lowest energy excited state in the [Ru(tpy)(n)(pydppn)(2-n)](2+) (n = 0, 1) complexes is a ligand-centered (3)pipi* localized on the pydppn ligand with lifetimes of approximately 20 mus. The [Ru(tpy)(n)(pydppn)(2-n)](2+) (n = 0, 1) complexes are able to generate (1)O(2) with approximately 100% efficiency. Both [Ru(tpy)(pydppn)](2+) and [Ru(pydppn)(2)](2+) bind to DNA, however, the former exhibits a approximately 10-fold greater DNA binding constant than the latter. Efficient DNA photocleavage is observed for [Ru(tpy)(pydppn)](2+), owing to its ability to photosensitize the production of (1)O(2), which can mediate the reactivity. Such high quantum yields of (1)O(2) photosensitization of transition metal complexes may be useful in the design of new systems with long-lived excited states for photodynamic therapy.

The series of complexes [Ru(bpy)(2)(L)](2+), where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine and L = 3,6-dithiaoctane (bete, 1), 1,2-bis(phenylthio)ethane (bpte, 2), ethylenediamine (en, 3), and 1,2-dianilinoethane (dae, 4), were synthesized, and their photochemistry was investigated. Photolysis experiments show that the bisthioether ligands in 1 and 2 are more easily photosubstituted by chloride ions, bpy, and H(2)O than the corresponding diammine complexes in 3 and 4 to generate the bis-substituted products. Electronic structure calculations show that bond elongation in the lowest energy triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer ((3)MLCT) state compared to the ground state is greater for complexes containing bisthioether ligands than those with coordinated bidentate nitrogen atoms. This elongation in the excited state is attributed to Ru-S π-bonding character of the highest occupied molecular orbitals, which is not present in the diamine complexes. In the Ru→bpy (3)MLCT state, the lower electron density on the metal-centered highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) weakens the Ru-S bond and results in the greater photoreactivity of 1 and 2 relative to that of 3 and 4. The more efficient photoinduced ligand exchange of the complexes possessing thioether ligands results in binding of 1 and 2 to DNA upon irradiation.

The extended pi-delocalization of dppn (benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2,3-c]phenazine) results in a (3)pipi* state as the lowest triplet excited state in [Os(bpy)(2)(dppn)](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine), which generates a (1)O(2) quantum yield of 0.42. Together with its (3)MLCT absorption, this new osmium complex shows efficient DNA cleavage under irradiation of lambda(irr) > or = 645 nm.