A Ruthenium Nitrosyl That Rapidly Delivers NO to Proteins in Aqueous Solution upon Short Exposure to UV Light

Two Ru(III) complexes, [Ru(PaPy(3))(Cl)](BF(4)) (2) and [Ru(PaPy(3))(NO)](BF(4))(2) (3) (PaPy(3)H = N,N'-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine-N-ethyl-2-pyridine-2-carboxamide), have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Nitrosyl complex 3 has been prepared by passage of purified NO gas to the hot methanolic solution of the chloro derivative 2. Complex 3 exhibits nu(NuOmicron) stretching frequency at 1899 cm(-)(1) indicating a [Ru-NO](6) configuration. Clean (1)H NMR spectra of 3 in D(2)O and CD(3)CN confirm the S = 0 ground state. When an aqueous solution of [Ru(PaPy(3))(NO)](BF(4))(2) is exposed to low intensity UV light, it rapidly loses NO and forms [Ru(PaPy(3))(H(2)O)](2+). This reaction can be conveniently used to transfer NO to proteins such as myoglobin (Mb) and cytochrome c oxidase. The NO transfer reaction is clean and occurs upon short exposure to light.