The synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, X-ray powder structure determination, and thermal behavior of a binuclearbis(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-oxo)-bridged vanadium(V) complex, [(VO
2L)
2], L =
N,
N'-dimethylenediamine(
o-hydroxyl acetophenon), along with its DNAbinding ability and photoinduced DNA cleavage activity, have been described. The compound crystallizes in a monoclinic systemwith
a = 7.679(3) Å,
b = 12.020(5) Å,
c = 13.882(6) Å,
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
= 90.799(4)
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
, space group
P2
1/
c, and
Z = 2. The crystal structure hasbeen solved from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data using the direct space approach and refined by the Rietveld method. Thedimeric complex consists of two edge-sharing vanadium octahedra with each metal center coordinated to one oxo-, one phenolate-,and two bridging-oxygen ligands, and two nitrogen donor atoms. The molecular structure reveals a two-dimensional grid of
![](/isubscribe/journals/cgdefu/7/i09/eqn/cg060753ie10001.gif)
(24)rings in the (011) plane, which on combination with one-dimensional polymeric chains along the [100] direction, forms a novelthree-dimensional supramolecular framework. Thermogravimetric analysis of the complex indicates multiple overlapping decompositionsteps in the temperature range 180-800
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C with the end product being V
2O
5. The complex binds to double-stranded DNA givinga
Kapp value of 1.56 × 10
7 M
-1 and displays DNA cleavage activity on UV (300 nm) irradiation via a mechanistic pathway involvingformation of singlet oxygen as the reactive species.