pH-Responsive luminescence sensing, photoredox catalysis and photodynamic applications of ruthenium(II) photosensitizers bearing imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline scaffolds

Pyrenyl-Substituted Imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline Rhenium(I) Complexes with Record-High Triplet Excited-State Lifetimes at Room Temperature: Steric Control of Photoinduced Processes in Bichromophoric Systems

Photochemical applications based on intermolecular photoinduced energy triplet state transfer require photosensitizers with strong visible absorptivity and extended triplet excited-state lifetimes. Using a bichromophore approach, two Re(I) tricarbonyl complexes with 2-(1-pyrenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (pyr-imphen) and 1-(4-(methyl)phenyl)-2-(1-pyrenyl)-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (pyr-tol-imphen) showing extraordinary long triplet excited states at room temperature (>1000 μs) were obtained, and their ground- and excited-state properties were thoroughly investigated by a wide range of spectroscopic methods, including femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA). It is worth noting that the designed [ReCl(CO)3(pyr-imphen)] (1) and [ReCl(CO)3(pyr-tol-imphen)] (2) complexes form a unique pair differing in the mutual chromophore arrangement due to introduction of a 4-(methyl)phenyl substituent into the imidazole ring at the H1-position, imposing an increase in the dihedral angle between the pyrene and {ReCl(CO)3(imphen)} chromophores. The magnitude of the electronic coupling between the pyrene and {ReCl(CO)3(imphen)} chromophores was found to be an efficient tool to tune the photophysical properties of 1 and 2. The usefulness of designed Re(I) compounds as triplet photosensitizers was successfully verified by examination of their abilities for 1O2 generation and triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion. The phosphorescence lifetimes, ∼1800 μs for 1 and ∼1500 μs for 2, are the longest lifetimes reported for Re(I) diimine carbonyl complexes in solution at room temperature.

Antitumor studies evaluation of triphenylphosphine ruthenium complexes with 5,7-dihalo-substituted-8-quinolinoline targeting mitophagy pathways

Both ruthenium-containing complexes and 8-quinolinoline compounds have emerged as a potential novel agent for malignant tumor therapy. Here, three triphenylphosphine ruthenium complexes, [Ru(ZW1)(PPh3)2Cl2] (PPh3 = triphenylphosphine) (RuZ1), [Ru(ZW2)(PPh3)2Cl2] (RuZ2) and [Ru(ZW2)2(PPh3)Cl2]·CH2Cl2 (RuZ3) bearing 5,7-dichloro-8-quinolinol (H-ZW1) and 5,7-dichloro-8-hydroxyquinaldine (H-ZW2), have been synthesized, characterized and tested for their anticancer potential. We showed that triphenylphosphine ruthenium complexes RuZ1-RuZ3 impaired the cell viability of ovarian adenocarcinoma cisplatin-resistant SK-OV-3/DDP (SKO3CR) and SK-OV-3 (SKO3) cancer cells with greater selectivity and specificity than cisplatin. In addition, RuZ1-RuZ3 show higher excellent cytotoxicity than cisplatin towards SKO3CR cells, with IC50 values of 9.66 ± 1.08, 4.05 ± 0.67 and 7.18 ± 0.40 μM, respectively, in which the SKO3CR cells was the most sensitive to RuZ1-RuZ3. Depending on the substituent type, the antiproliferative ability of RuZ1-RuZ3 followed the trend: -CH3 > -H. However, RuZ1-RuZ3 have no obvious toxicity to normal cell HL-7702. Besides, RuZ1 and RuZ2 could induce mitophagy related-apoptosis pathways through suppression of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), accumulation of [Ca2+] and reactive oxygen species (ROS), and regulation of LC3 II/LC3 I, Beclin-1, P62, FUNDC1, PINK1, Parkin, cleaved-caspase-3, caspase-9 and cytochrome c signaling pathway, and hindering the preparation of mitochondrial respiration complexes I and IV and ATP levels. Mechanistic study revealed that RuZ1 and RuZ2 induce apoptosis in SKO3CR cells via mitophagy related-apoptosis pathways induction and energy (ATP) generation disturbance. Taken together, the studied triphenylphosphine ruthenium complexes RuZ1-RuZ3 are promising chemotherapeutic agents with high effectiveness and low toxicity.

Fluorescent and chromogenic organic probes to detect group 10 metal ions: design strategies and sensing applications

Group 10 metals including Ni, Pd and Pt have been extensively applied in various essential aspects of human social life, material science, industrial manufactures, medicines and biology. The ionic forms of these metals are involved in several biologically important processes due to their strong binding capability towards different biomolecules. However, the mishandling or overuse of such metals has been linked to serious contamination of our ecological system, more specifically in soil and water bodies with acute consequences. Therefore, the detection of group 10 metal ions in biological as well as environmental samples is of huge significance from the human health point of view. Related to this, considerable efforts are underway to develop adequately efficient and facile methods to achieve their selective detection. Optical sensing of metal ions has gained increasing attention of researchers, particularly in the environmental and biological settings. Innovatively designed optical probes (fluorescent or colorimetric) are usually comprised of three basic components: an explicitly tailored receptor unit, a signalling unit and a clearly defined reporter unit. This review deals with the recent progress in the design and fabrication of fluorescent or colorimetric organic sensors for the detection of group 10 metal ions (Ni(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II)), with attention to the general aspects for design of such sensors.

A DFT study of the second-order nonlinear optical properties of Ru(II) polypyridine complexes

It is important to search for efficient nonlinear optical (NLO) materials due to their potential applications in electro-optic devices. Theoretical investigations into the second-order NLO responses of ten novel Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes based on [Ru(phen)₂(bipy)]²⁺ and [Ru(bphen)₂(bipy)]²⁺ have been performed using density functional theory. The effects on the second-order NLO response of introducing a substituent to the bipy group and of varying the ligand from phen to bphen are studied. The introduction of an electron-withdrawing/donating group improves the static first hyperpolarizability (β_tot) for [Ru(phen)₂(bipy)]²⁺ derivatives, where the introduction of a strong electron-donating group, vinyl dimethylamine, increases the β_tot value from 10 a.u. for an unsubstituted complex to 16 425 a.u. However, substituting the phen ligand for a bphen group has only a slight effect on the β_tot values. Research into the electronic structures, UV-vis absorption spectra, and charge transfer properties was also carried out to further understand the second-order NLO properties of the ten complexes. The frontier orbital energy gap, electron density distribution, and charge-transfer direction and quantity are crucial elements impacting the second-order NLO responses of the complexes. Varying the electronic properties is considered to be an effective method for tuning the second-order NLO responses of materials. We hope our work will provide some helpful information for designing and synthesizing cost-effective and high-performance NLO materials.

Sublimation Study of Six 5-Substituted-1,10-phenanthrolines by Knudsen Effusion Mass Loss and Solution Calorimetry

The vapor pressures of six solid 5-X-1,10-phenanthrolines (where X = Cl, CH₃, CN, OCH₃, NH₂, NO₂) were determined in suitable temperature ranges by Knudsen Effusion Mass Loss (KEML). From the temperature dependencies of vapor pressure, the molar sublimation enthalpies, Δ_cr^gH_m⁰(⟨T⟩), were calculated at the corresponding average ⟨T⟩ of the explored temperature ranges. Since to the best of our knowledge no thermochemical data seem to be available in the literature regarding these compounds, the Δ_cr^gH_m⁰(⟨T⟩) values obtained by KEML experiments were adjusted to 298.15 K using a well known empirical procedure reported in the literature. The standard (p⁰ = 0.1 MPa) molar sublimation enthalpies, Δ_cr^gH_m⁰(298.15 K), were compared with those determined using a recently proposed solution calorimetry approach, which was validated using a remarkable amount of thermochemical data of molecular compounds. For this purpose, solution enthalpies at infinite dilution of the studied 5-chloro and 5-methylphenantrolines in benzene were measured at 298.15 K. Good agreement was found between the values derived by the two different approaches, and final mean values of Δ_cr^gH_m⁰(298.15 K) were recommended. Finally, the standard molar entropies and Gibbs energies of sublimation were also derived at T = 298.15 K. The volatilities of the six compounds were found to vary over a range of three orders of magnitude in the explored temperature range. The large difference in volatility was analyzed in the light of enthalpies and entropies of sublimation. The latter was tentatively put in relation to the rotational contribution of the substituent group on the phenanthroline unit.

Three-photon absorption iridium(iii) photosensitizers featuring aggregation induced emission

Ir-H exhibits better three-photon absorption aggregation induced emission property, and thus can enhance the photodynamic therapy efficiency.

A fundamental role of solvent polarity and remote substitution of 2-(4-R-phenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline framework in controlling of ground- and excited-state properties of Re(I) chromophores [ReCl(CO)3(R-C6H4-imphen)]

A series of Re(I) carbonyl chromophores with 1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (imphen) ligand functionalized with electron-donating amine groups attached to the imidazole ring via phenylene linkage was designed to investigate the impact of...