Photoinduced transformation of camptothecin in the presence of iron(III) ions

To obtain the information on the photoactivated action of camptothecin (CPT) promoted by transition metals, CPT was UVA irradiated (λ = 365 nm) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solutions. Fe(III) ions present were efficiently reduced to Fe(II) under argon and also in the presence of oxygen. The photoinduced electron transfer under argon resulted into the generation of carbon-centered radicals identified by EPR spin trapping evidencing the cleavage of CPT skeleton. Whereas the absorption UV/vis experiments with equimolar ratio Fe(III):CPT excluded the formation of charge-transfer complexes, the fluorescence spectra of CPT in the presence of Fe(III) revealed a significant fluorescence quenching indicating the probability of physical association between Fe(III) and CPT species in DMSO solutions confirming Fe(III) involvement in the photoinduced transformation.