An overview of photosubstitution reactions of Ru(II) imine complexes and their application in photobiology and photodynamic therapy

Review of the photochemistry and photophysics of Ru(II) imine complexes with emphasis on application to photodynamic therapy. [Display omitted] •A review of temperature dependent luminescence of Ru(II) imine complexes is presented.•The efficiencies of photosubstitution reactions of Ru(II) imine complexes are reviewed.•Mechanistic aspects of photosubstitution reactions are reviewed.•An overview of photosubstitution reactions in biological systems is presented. This article presents a short review of photosubstitution reactions of Ru(II) imine complexes and illustrates their use in the development of potential therapeutic agents. The review begins with an overview of the photophysical behavior and common photoreactions of Ru(II) imine complexes, with select examples from the literature since the 1960s. It is followed by a more detailed picture of the application of knowledge gained over the years in the development of Ru(II) complexes for photobiology and photodynamic therapy.