Rhenium(II) nitrosyl complexes: synthesis, characterization, DFT calculations and DNA nuclease activity

The rhenium(II) dinitrosyl and mononitrosyl complexes, i.e. [Re(NO)₂(CN)₄]·(Phen)₂·2H₂O (1) and PhenH[Re(NO)(CN)₄(H₂O)]·(Phen)·3H₂O (2) have been isolated and characterized. The X-ray crystal structure of 2 reveals that Re(II) is octahedrally coordinated with one nitrosyl, four cyanides, and one water, with one phenanthroline protonated to compensate the charge of the Re(II) center. The crystal structure shows chemically significant non-covalent interactions like hydrogen bonding involving the uncoordinated water and π–π interactions between phenanthrolinium and phen. The structures of both complexes have been optimized by DFT. Absorption and emission spectral studies and viscosity measurements indicate that both 1 and 2 interact with calf thymus DNA through partial intercalation of DNA bases. The intrinsic-binding constants, obtained from UV–vis spectroscopic studies, are 1.2 × 10⁴ and 7.2 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ for 1 and 2, respectively. Both 1 and 2 are capable of inducing cleavage of plasmid DNA in the presence of H₂O₂ to form the supercoiled form to nicked circular form. The spectroscopic results of DNA binding are supported by molecular docking studies.