LE3 .A278 2015

2015

McFarland, Sherri

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Chemistry

Chemistry

Twelve mononuclear bis-heteroleptic [Ru(N-N)2(LL’)]2+ complexes were synthesized in 30–90% yields. These ruthenium complexes were characterized by 1H NMR, 1H–1H COSY NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (+ve mode), and high-resolution mass spectroscopy. The preliminary in vitro photobiological data for HL-60 cells were obtained as a first step towards establishing the structure–activity relationships. Ruthenium-based diimine complexes have great potential in cancer treatment as metallodrug photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT), a highly selective method that uses light to activate an otherwise nontoxic prodrug to destroys tumors and tumor vasculature and invoke an immune response. Briefly, the light absorption by a PS produces an excited state of the PS that can interact with oxygen to generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen (1O2) or other cytotoxic reactive species. Existing PSs are mostly organic compounds that work by generating only singlet oxygen when activated with red light. Consequently, they are not effective PDT agents for some of the most aggressive cancers. In contrast, metal-based PSs such as ruthenium possess diverse excited-state configurations that can participate in oxygen-independent photoprocesses and some with near-infrared activation. These features enable PDT to penetrate deep into the tissue and destroy hypoxic tumors, representing the most malignant and drug-resistant neoplasms

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:387