Transient photocyclization in ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes of indolamines

Ruthenium polypyridine complexes have proved to be useful caging groups for visible-light photodelivery of biomolecules. In most photoreactions, one ligand is expelled upon irradiation, yielding ruthenium mono-aqua complexes and no other photoproduct. In this work we show that a long-lived transient photoproduct is generated when the ruthenium complexes involve indolamines. The spatial conformation of this species is compatible with a cyclic structure that contains both the amine and the normally non-coordinating aromatic ring coordinated to the ruthenium center.