Excited-State Dynamics of a Two-Photon-Activatable Ruthenium Prodrug

• Published in: Chemphyschem Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 221 - 224
• Main Authors: Greenough, Simon E., Horbury, Michael D., Smith, Nichola A., Sadler, Peter J., Paterson, Martin J., Stavros, Vasilios G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 18.01.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Communication; Communications; density functional calculations; ligand substitution; Organometallic Compounds - chemistry; Photochemical Processes; Photons; Prodrugs - chemistry; Quantum Theory; ruthenium; Ruthenium - chemistry; Spectrum analysis; time-resolved spectroscopy; two-photon absorption; time-resolved spectroscopy; two-photon absorption; density functional calculations; ruthenium; ligand substitution
• ISSN: 1439-4235; 1439-7641
• DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201501075

We present a new approach to investigate how the photodynamics of an octahedral ruthenium(II) complex activated through two‐photon absorption (TPA) differ from the equivalent complex activated through one‐photon absorption (OPA). We photoactivated a RuII polypyridyl complex containing bioactive monodentate ligands in the photodynamic therapy window (620–1000 nm) by using TPA and used transient UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy to elucidate its reaction pathways. Density functional calculations allowed us to identify the nature of the initially populated states and kinetic analysis recovers a photoactivation lifetime of approximately 100 ps. The dynamics displayed following TPA or OPA are identical, showing that TPA prodrug design may use knowledge gathered from the more numerous and easily conducted OPA studies. Two for the price of one: A RuII polypyridyl complex is photoactivated in the photodynamic therapy window (620–1000 nm) through two‐photon absorption (TPA) and studied with transient UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy to show its reaction pathway. Density functional calculations identify the initial states. The dynamics displayed following TPA or one‐photon absorption (OPA) are identical, showing that TPA prodrug design may use knowledge gained from the more easily conducted OPA studies.