Recent advances in supramolecular self-assembly and biological applications of luminescent alkynylplatinum(II) polypyridine complexes

Among various transition metal complexes, platinum(II) complexes are among one of the most extensively explored classes of metal complexes for supramolecular assembly, as their square-planar molecular geometry allows axial interactions between adjacent complex molecules and access to the formation of supramolecular assemblies with the aid of noncovalent Pt(II)⋯Pt(II) interactions. In the presence of external stimuli, alkynylplatinum(II) polypyridine complexes can self-assemble with alterations in their spectroscopic and luminescence properties. In light of their inherent advantages, including low-energy photoexcitation, red to near-infrared emission, large Stokes shifts, long phosphorescence lifetimes and high photostability, successful applications of alkynylplatinum(II) polypyridine complexes in the detection of biological analytes have been made possible. In this account, presented in part of the FACS Foundation Lecture, we introduce the basic concepts and our recent advances in the development of detection assays for various biomolecules based on luminescent alkynylplatinum(II) polypyridine complexes with selected examples.