Anthracene and naphthalene (2,2′-bipyridine)platinum(II) conjugates: synthesis and DNA photocleavage

A series of (2,2′-bipyridine)platinum(II) complexes covalently tethered to one or two anthracene or naphthalene chromophores was synthesized in high yields. The compounds were equilibrated with pUC19 plasmid and then irradiated at 350 nm. DNA cleaving reactions showed that the complex attached to two anthracene units exhibited the highest photocleavage efficiency, leading to complete conversion of supercoiled to linear DNA at 0.25 μM concentrations of the complex (37°C, pH 7.4).