Novel 2-aminothiazonaphthalimides as visible light activatable photonucleases: effects of intercalation, heterocyclic-fused area and side chains

A new family of 2-aminothiazonaphthalimides with different side chains as novel intercalative and visible light activatable photonucleases, was designed, synthesized and quantitatively evaluated. The order of their photocleaving abilities was parallel to that of their intercalative properties. The compound with linear heterocyclic-fused chromophore could intercalate into and photocleave DNA more efficiently than the one with angular heterocyclic-fused chromophore. B2, the most efficient compound, caused obvious DNA damage at 1 μM. Mechanism experiment showed that superoxide anion was involved.