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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. [Pf^II(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.