Photochemistry and Photophysics of Coordination Compounds
Photochemistry and Photophysics of Coordination Compounds
Photochemistry and Photophysics of Coordination Compounds
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244 M.T. Indelli et al.<br />
intercalation through the major groove [146]. A series <strong>of</strong> systematic NMR <strong>and</strong><br />
photocleavage studies clearly showed that the binding <strong>of</strong> complexes containing<br />
different ancillary lig<strong>and</strong>s occurs at a different specific DNA sequence.<br />
This site specificity results from both shape-selective steric interactions as<br />
well as stabilizing van der Waals <strong>and</strong> hydrogen bonding contacts. In particular,<br />
Rh(NH3)4phi 3+ <strong>and</strong> related amine complexes bind to d(TGGCCA)2<br />
duplex through hydrogen bonding between the ancillary amine lig<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong><br />
DNA bases [130, 136]. Evidence for specific intercalation was found also for<br />
Rh(phen)2phi 3+ in the hexanucleotide d(GTCGAC)2 [134]. In this case Barton<br />
proposed that the site specificity was based upon shape-selection. Since<br />
thephenanthrolinelig<strong>and</strong>sprovidestericbulkabove<strong>and</strong>belowtheplane<strong>of</strong><br />
the phi lig<strong>and</strong>, the stacking occurs at sites which are more open in the major<br />
grove. The most striking example <strong>of</strong> site-specific recognition by shape<br />
selection with bulky ancillary lig<strong>and</strong>s was found for Rh(DPB)2phi 3+ (DPB<br />
=4,4 ′ -diphenylbpy) [140]. For all the complexes studied enantioselectivity<br />
favoring the intercalation <strong>of</strong> the ∆-isomer was observed [130, 147]. Further<br />
control <strong>of</strong> sequence specificity has been achieved by using derivatives <strong>of</strong><br />
Rh(phen)(phi)2 3+ complexes where the nonintercalating phenanthroline lig<strong>and</strong><br />
has been functionalized with pendant guanidinium group or with short<br />
oligopeptides [148, 149]. For metal-peptide complexes photocleavage experiments<br />
showed that the polypeptide chain is essential in directing the complex<br />
to a specific DNA sequence [149].<br />
Among the rhodium intercalators explored as probes <strong>of</strong> DNA structure,<br />
Barton selected the Rh(bpy)2chrysi 3+ (chrysi = 5,6-chrysenequinone diimine,<br />
31) complex as an ideal c<strong>and</strong>idate for mismatches recognition [150–152].<br />
The specific recognition is based on the size <strong>of</strong> the intercalating lig<strong>and</strong>: the<br />
chrysene ring system is too large to intercalate in normal B-form DNA but it<br />
can do so at destabilized mismatch sites. The authors point out that sterically<br />
dem<strong>and</strong>ing intercalators such as Rh(bpy)2chrysi 3+ may have application both<br />
in mutation detection systems <strong>and</strong> as mismatch-specific chemotherapeutic<br />
agents.<br />
Recently mixed-metal trimetallic complexes have been designed <strong>and</strong><br />
studied by Brewer to obtain supramolecular system capable <strong>of</strong> DNA photocleavage<br />
[153, 154]. These complexes <strong>of</strong> general formula [{(bpy)2M(dpp)}2<br />
RhCl2](PF6)5 with M = Ru(II) or Os(II) couple ruthenium or osmium chromophoric<br />
units to a central rhodium(III) core. When excited with visible light<br />
into their intense MLCT b<strong>and</strong>s, these complexes exhibit DNA photocleavage