Assessment of the
DNA photo-oxidation and synthetic photocatalytic
activity of chromium polypyridyl complexes is dominated by consideration
of their long-lived metal-centered excited states. Here we report
the participation of the excited states of [Cr(TMP)
2
dppz]
3+
(
1
) (TMP = 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline;
dppz = dipyrido[3,2-
a
:2′,3′-
c
]phenazine) in DNA photoreactions. The interactions of
enantiomers of
1
with natural DNA or with oligodeoxynucleotides
with varying AT content (0–100%) have been studied by steady
state UV/visible absorption and luminescence spectroscopic methods,
and the emission of
1
is found to be quenched in all
systems. The time-resolved infrared (TRIR) and visible absorption
spectra (TA) of
1
following excitation in the region
between 350 to 400 nm reveal the presence of relatively long-lived
dppz-centered states which eventually yield the emissive metal-centered
state. The dppz-localized states are fully quenched when bound by
GC base pairs and partially so in the presence of an AT base-pair
system to generate purine radical cations. The sensitized formation
of the adenine radical cation species (
A
•+
T
) is identified by assigning the TRIR spectra with help of
DFT calculations. In natural DNA and oligodeoxynucleotides containing
a mixture of AT and GC of base pairs, the observed time-resolved spectra
are consistent with eventual photo-oxidation occurring predominantly
at guanine through hole migration between base pairs. The combined
targeting of purines leads to enhanced photo-oxidation of guanine.
These results show that DNA photo-oxidation by the intercalated
1
, which locates the dppz in contact with the target purines,
is dominated by the LC centered excited state. This work has implications
for future phototherapeutics and photocatalysis.