Ruthenium(II) Complex of the Alkaloid 2‐Bromoleptoclinidinone. Preparation and Interaction with Double‐Stranded DNA

Abstract
The fused pentacyclic alkaloid 2‐bromoleptoclinidinone (1) isolated from an ascidian possesses a bidentate chelating site. Complexation of 1 with [cis‐RuCl2{(D8)bpy}2] · 2H2O forms an octahedral complex which was isolated both as hexafluorophosphate 2 and chloride 3 salts. Intercalation of 3 in calf‐thymus DNA was shown to occur as well as photoactivated cleavage of double‐strand supercoiled DNA pBR322 under visible‐light irradiation.