Highly photoactive Ir(III)-Pt(IV) heterometallic conjugates for anticancer therapy.

For the first time, this study reported the photoactivatable activity of Ir(III)-Pt(IV) heterometallic conjugates, which were stable in the dark and activated to release oxaliplatin and Ir within 3 min of irradiation. The conjugates induced apoptosis and immunologic cell death through Pt-DNA binding and reactive oxygen species generation upon irradiation. This work developed photoactivatable heterometallic agents for anticancer therapy.