Platinum Metals Rev., 1996, 40, (3), 127
Platinum Complexes Used in DNA Binding Studies
DNA binding studies need unsaturated complexes with emissions sensitive to environmental changes to bind to DNA. Some ruthenium and platinum complexes have photoluminescence changes upon intercalation into calf-thymus (ct) DNA. Scientists at the University of Hong Kong, (H.-Q. Iiu, T.-C. Cheung and C.-M. Che, Chem. Commun., 1996, (9), 1039–1040) have now found two platinum complexes with dramatically enhanced photoluminescence on binding. [PfII(dpp-C,N,N’)(MeCN)]+ had a 271-fold increase in emission and had a 117-fold increase; dpp-C,N,N’ = C-depro-tonated 2,9-diphenyl-l,10-phenanthroline; pby-C,N,N’ = C-deprotonated 6-phenyl-2,2’-bipyri-dine and dppm = diphenylphosphinomethane. This is attributed to intercalation into et DNA, and may be used as luminescent switches for DNA.