Tuning the Excited States of New Ru(II) Complexes for Potential Photodynamic Therapy Applications

化学结构，动力学和机制（CSDM）计划支持俄亥俄州州立大学的Claudia Turro教授对钌络合物的激发态动力学进行基础/基础研究，包括配体交换光化学。该研究的主要目标是了解有效激发态配体解离的原理，其动力学，以及如何增强和控制这种激发态过程。感兴趣的一个领域是新的金属配合物，可以进行配体交换与低能量可见光的水分子的调查。由此产生的光产物与DNA结合，最终导致癌细胞死亡。所提出的工作的主要重点是获得了解如何离开配体的性质和基态和最低能量激发态的电子和结构特征影响光化学。这项研究将提供基础知识，以后可以应用于新的光动力治疗剂的发现。这项工作也将导致光子吸收后的初始步骤的理解，以及在包括太阳能转换和光伏器件领域的重要点。研究人员致力于研究生和本科生的教育，以及代表性不足的群体的成员。Turro教授是俄勒冈州立大学黑人化学家和化学工程师全国组织学生分会的教师顾问，是该部门多样性委员会的成员，并参加了旨在促进和保留科学中代表性不足的少数民族和妇女的国家和地区社会会议。这些努力将有助于在本科和研究生阶段培养高素质、多样化的科学家。该研究的一个重要方面是了解所提出的复合物的激发态反应性的潜力，这有可能影响医学和太阳能领域，从而为社会提供明显的好处。

The Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanism (CSDM) Program supports Professor Claudia Turro at the Ohio State University to carry out fundamental/basic studies on the dynamics of excited states of ruthenium complexes, including their ligand-exchange photochemistry. The main goal of the research is to understand the principles that govern efficient excited state ligand-dissociation, its kinetics, and how this excited state process can be enhanced and controlled. One area of interest is the investigation of new metal complexes that can undergo ligand exchange with water molecules with low energy visible light. The resulting photoproducts bind to DNA, ultimately resulting in the death of cancer cells. The primary focus of the proposed work is to gain understanding how the properties of the leaving ligand and the electronic and structural characteristics of the ground state and the lowest energy excited state affect the photochemistry. This research will provide the basic knowledge that can later be applied to the discovery of new photodynamic therapy agents. This work will also result in understanding of the initial steps following photon absorption, and important point in areas that include solar energy conversion and photovoltaic devices.The researchers are committed to the education of graduate and undergraduate students, as well as members of underrepresented groups. Professor Turro is the faculty advisor for the student chapter of the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers at OSU, is a member of the department's Diversity Committee, and attended national and regional meetings of societies geared to promote and retain underrepresented minorities and women in science. These efforts will aid in the training of highly qualified, diverse scientists at the undergraduate and graduate levels. An important aspect of the research is the potential for the understanding of the excited state reactivity of the complexes proposed, which has the potential to impact the areas of medicine and solar energy, thus providing a clear benefit to society.