Ru(ii) photosensitizers competent for hypoxic cancers via green light activation

A family of five heteroleptic complexes [Ru(C<<^>>N)(N<<^>>N)(2)][PF6] (HC<<^>>N = methyl 1-butyl-2-arylbenzimidazolecarboxylate; N<<^>>N = polypyridine) has been synthesized to act as biologically-compatible green light photosensitizers (PSs) with phototherapeutic indexes (PIs) up to higher than 700 under hypoxia (2% O-2) in HeLa cancer cells under short time of irradiation.