Dual Functions of Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes: Anti-Metastasis and Lysosome-Damaged Photodynamic Therapy.

Four phosphorescent cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes containing benzimidazole moiety have been designed and synthesized. These Ir(III) complexes can effectively inhibit several cancerous processes, including cell migration, invasion, colony formation, and angiogenesis. Interestingly, they show a much higher singlet oxygen quantum yield in an acidic solution than in a neutral solution.

A phosphorescent rhenium(I) histone deacetylase inhibitor: mitochondrial targeting and paraptosis induction.

In this report, we designed a histone deacetylase-targeted phosphorescent Re(I) complex ReLMito. Colocalization studies suggested that ReLMito could specially localize to mitochondria. We also demonstrated that ReLMito could induce paraptosis in cancer cells.