Efficient photocleavage of DNA utilizing water soluble riboflavin/naphthaleneacetate substituted fullerene complex

Riboflavin (RF), a metabolizable endogenous pigment, can significantly enhance the water solubility of naphthaleneacetate modified fullerene C60 (NP-C60) upon formation of a supramolecular complex (RF/NP-C60). NP-C60 can quench the fluorescence of RF efficiently through static quenching mechanism. The resulting complex exhibits strong affinity to calf thymus DNA, as indicated by the hypochromism of its absorption spectra. Under anaerobic conditions, RF/NP-C60 complex displays much more efficient photocleavage of the DNA than RF itself due to the occurrence of electron transfer from DNA to NP-C60.