Triazole-based osmium(ii) complexes displaying red/near-IR luminescence: antimicrobial activity and super-resolution imaging.

Journal: Chemical science
Published Date:

Abstract

Cellular uptake, luminescence imaging and antimicrobial activity against clinically relevant methicillin-resistant (MRSA) bacteria are reported. The osmium(ii) complexes [Os(^)] (^ = 1-benzyl-4-(pyrid-2-yl)-1,2,3-triazole ( ); 1-benzyl-4-(pyrimidin-2-yl)-1,2,3-triazole ( ); 1-benzyl-4-(pyrazin-2-yl)-1,2,3-triazole ( )) were prepared and isolated as the chloride salts of their meridional and facial isomers. The complexes display prominent spin-forbidden ground state to triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) state absorption bands enabling excitation as low as 600 nm for /- and observation of emission in aqueous solution in the deep-red/near-IR regions of the spectrum. Cellular uptake studies within MRSA cells show antimicrobial activity for and with greater toxicity for the meridional isomers in each case and - showing the greatest potency (32 μg mL in defined minimal media). Super-resolution imaging experiments demonstrate binding of - and - to bacterial DNA with high Pearson's colocalisation coefficients (up to 0.95 using DAPI). Phototoxicity studies showed the complexes exhibited a higher antimicrobial activity upon irradiation with light.

Authors

  • Kirsty L Smitten
    Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield Brook Hill Sheffield S3 7HF UK james.thomas@sheffield.ac.uk.
  • Paul A Scattergood
    Department of Chemistry & Centre for Functional Materials, University of Huddersfield Queensgate Huddersfield HD1 3DH UK p.i.elliott@hud.ac.uk p.scattergood@hud.ac.uk.
  • Charlotte Kiker
    Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield Brook Hill Sheffield S3 7HF UK james.thomas@sheffield.ac.uk.
  • Jim A Thomas
    Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield Brook Hill Sheffield S3 7HF UK james.thomas@sheffield.ac.uk.
  • Paul I P Elliott
    Department of Chemistry & Centre for Functional Materials, University of Huddersfield Queensgate Huddersfield HD1 3DH UK p.i.elliott@hud.ac.uk p.scattergood@hud.ac.uk.

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