Two oxovanadium complexes incorporating thiosemicarbazones: synthesis, characterization, and DNA-binding studies

Abstract

An oxovanadium complex [VO(satsc)(phen)] (1) (satsc = salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, phen = phenanthroline) and its derivative [VO(3,5-dibrsatsc)(phen)] (2) (3,5-dibrsatsc = 3,5-dibromosalicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, electrospray-mass spectra, ¹H NMR, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The DNA-binding behaviors of these complexes with calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were investigated by UV-Vis absorption titration, fluorescence spectra, viscosity measurements, thermal denaturation, and circular dichroism. Both 1 and 2 bind to CT-DNA by intercalation and 1 exhibits much stronger binding affinity to CT-DNA than 2.

Keywords:

• Synthesis
• Oxovanadium
• Thiosemicarbazone
• DNA
• Thermal denaturation

Acknowledgments

The research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Education Ministry Key Research Project of China (208105), the Scientific Foundation of Zhongshan (2009H018), and the Teacher Culture Foundation of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University (2008) and (43540119).