Insights into the anticancer photodynamic activity of Ir(III) and Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes bearing β-carboline ligands

Ir (III) and Ru (II) polypyridyl complexes are promising photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to their outstanding photophysical properties. Herein, one series of cyclometallated Ir (III) complexes and two series of Ru (II) polypyridyl derivatives bearing three different thiazolyl-β-carboline NN' ligands have been synthesized, aiming to evaluate the impact of the different metal fragments ([Ir (CN)