Surfactant-Ruthenium(II) Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, DNA Binding, Anticancer and Antimicrobial Activity

The interaction of ligand bound ruthenium(II) complexes with DNA have grown fame because of their relevance in the development of new reagents for medicinal applications and the impact of dominating cisplatin. Surfactant-ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(DMP)2(DA)Cl](ClO4) (1) and [Ru(DMP)2(DA)2](ClO4)2 (2) with primary ligand as DMP (2,9-dimethyl[1,10]-phenanthroline) and secondary ligand as dodecyl amine (DA) were synthesized and characterized. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of complexes in aqueous solution were obtained from conductivity measurements. The interaction of surfactant-ruthenium(II) complexes with CT-DNA has been explored by spectroscopic technique and viscosity dimensions. These complexes were tested for cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities with human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) and pathogenic microorganisms. The results indicate that the complex 2 binds more strongly to DNA than complex 1 further affecting the viability of the cells significantly and also showed moderate antimicrobial activity.