[摘要]:A novel polypyridine ligand, dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine-11-carboxylic acid methyl ester (=dppz-11-CO2Me), and its ruthenium(II) complex, [Ru(bpy)(2)(dppz-11-CO2Me)](2) - (1), were synthesized and characterized. The binding properties of this complex to Calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were investigated by different spectrophotometric methods and viscosity measurements. The results suggest that the complex hinds to DNA in an intercalative mode and serves as a molecular 'light switch' for DNA. When irradiated at 365 nm, the complex 1 promoted the photocleavage of plasmid pBR-322 DNA.