Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes (RPCs) are gaining momentum in photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT), thanks to the possibility of overcoming the classical reliance on molecular oxygen of photodynamic therapy while preserving the selective drug activation by using light. However, notwithstanding the intriguing perspectives, the translation of such an approach in the development of new antimicrobials has been only barely considered. Herein, MTZH-1 and MTZH-2, two novel analogues of metronidazole (MTZ), a mainstay drug in the treatment of anaerobic bacterial infections, were designed and inserted in the strained ruthenium complexes [Ru(tpy)(dmp)(MTZ-1)]PF₆ (Ru2) and [Ru(tpy)(dmp)(MTZ-2)]PF₆ (Ru3) (tpy = terpyridine, dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) (Chart 1). Analogously to the parental compound [Ru(tpy)(dmp)(5NIM)]PF₆ (Ru1) (5-nitroimidazolate), the Ru(II)-imidazolate coordination of MTZ derivatives resulted in promising Ru(II) photocages, capable to easily unleash the bioactive ligands upon light irradiation and increase the antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, which was chosen as a model of Gram-positive bacteria. The photoreleased 5-nitroimidazole-based ligands led to remarkable phototoxicities under hypoxic conditions (<1% O₂), with the lead compound Ru3 that exhibited the highest potency across the series, being comparable to the one of the clinical drug MTZ. Besides, the chemical architectures of MTZ derivatives made their interaction with NimAunfavorable, being NimA a model of reductases responsible for bacterial resistance against 5-nitroimidazole-based antibiotics, thus hinting at their possible use to combat antimicrobial resistance. This work may therefore provide fundamental knowledge in the design of novel photoresponsive tools to be used in the fight against infectious diseases. For the first time, the effectiveness of the "photorelease antimicrobial therapy" under therapeutically relevant hypoxic conditions was demonstrated.

The interaction of AMP, ADP, ATP and related phosphate, diphosphate and triphosphate anions with the positively charged forms of the HL ligand, constituted by a tren molecule functionalized with a pyrimidine residue, was studied by potentiometric titrations, affording the stability constants of the formed anion complexes, ³¹P and ¹H NMR spectroscopy in aqueous solutions and modelling calculations. The equilibrium data show that electrostatic forces make an important, but not decisive contribution, to the stability of the anion complexes. For nucleotides, ¹H NMR spectra showed that the formation of π-stacking interactions between nucleotide adenine and ligand pyrimidine moieties contribute to the stability of these complexes, being very important for those complexes of higher stability. The synergistic action of the different binding groups of the polyfunctional HL receptor leads to a marked recognition of ADP over ATP with a selectivity coefficient as high as 116 at pH 3.3, which is unprecedented in the context of synthetic receptor in water. According to modelling calculations, such exceptional binding selectivity has a strong relation with the increase of stability experienced by ADP complexes upon ADP protonation. A similar phenomenon is observed for HAMP⁻ whose interaction with H₃L²⁺ is at least as strong as that of the more charged HATP^{3 −} anion, which is another rare occurrence.

Ru(ii) complexes featuring two π-expansive benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine ligands are potent photosensitizers that can be encapsulated into cubosomes to achieve hybrid formulations with augmented biopharmaceutical properties.

The coordination features of the two dipyridine-containing polyamine macrocycles 2,5,8,11,14-pentaaza[15]-[15](2,2′)[1,15]-bipyridylophane (L1) and 4,4′-(2,5,8,11,14-pentaaza[15]-[15](2,2′)-bipyridylophane) (L2) toward Cu(II) and Ni(II) have been studied by means of potentiometric and spectrophotometric UV-vis titrations in aqueous solutions. While in L1 all the nitrogen donor atoms are convergent inside the macrocyclic cavity, in L2 the heteroaromatic nitrogen atoms are located outside. Ligands L1 and L2 form stable mono- and dinuclear complexes with Cu(II). In the case of Ni(II) coordination, only L1 gives dinuclear complexes, while L2 can form only mononuclear species. In the Cu(II) or Ni(II) complexes with L1 the metal(s) are lodged inside the macrocyclic cavity, coordinated to the heteroaromatic nitrogens. As shown by the crystal structure of the [CuL1]²⁺ and [NiL1]²⁺ cations, at least one of the two benzylic nitrogens is not coordinated and facile protonation of the complex takes place at neutral or slightly acidic pH values. The particular molecular architecture of L2, which displays two well-separated binding moieties, strongly affects its coordination behavior. In the mononuclear [CuL2]²⁺ complex, the metal is encapsulated inside the cavity, not coordinated by the dipyridine unit. Protonation of the complex, however, occurs on the aliphatic polyamine chain and gives rise to translocation of the metal outside the cavity, bound to the heteroaromatic nitrogens. In the [NiL2]²⁺ complex the metal is coordinated by the dipyridine nitrogens, outside the macrocyclic cavity. Thermodynamic and/or kinetic considerations may explain the different behavior with respect to the corresponding Cu(II) complex.