First Observation of Luminescence from Tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) Triggered by Anodic Oxidation of Oligodeoxyribonucleotide

Anodic oxidation of oligodeoxyribonucleotide in an alkaline aqueous medium containing tris(2,2t′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+) was shown to cause luminescence around +1.3 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) with a maximal intensity at approximately 600 nm, possibly originating from Ru(bpy)32+ in the d-π* triplet state. A pivotal initial stage in the light production path was postulated to be the anodic oxidation of 2-deoxyribose residue. This reaction seems to be available for the determination of sub-μmol dm-3 levels of oligodeoxyribonucleotide.