DNA cleavage activities and mechanism of a novel heterodinuclear macrocyclic complex

A new unsymmetrical bis-furan pendant-armed macrocyclic heterodinuclear Cu(II)Zn(II) complex, [CuZnL(OAc)](ClO4)·3MeCN·H2O(1) (H2L was derived from the condensation between 1,6-bis(2-furyl)-2,5-bis(2-hydroxy-3-formyl-5-bromobenzyl)-2, 5-diazahexane and 1,3-diaminopropane), has been synthesized and characterized by EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy) and X-ray crystallography determination. The interaction between the complex and calf thymus (CT) DNA was investigated by UV–vis absorption, viscosity experiment, fluorescent and CD spectroscopy. The mechanism of the cleavage of supercoiled DNA (pBR 322DNA) process was also studied. It is proposed that DNA cleavage promoted by the complex occurrence via oxidative mechanism.