Synthesis and Evaluation of a Ruthenium-based Mitochondrial Calcium Uptake Inhibitor.

We detail the synthesis and purification of a mitochondrial calcium uptake inhibitor, [(OH2)(NH3)4Ru(µ-O)Ru(NH3)4(OH2)]5+. The optimized synthesis of this compound commences from [Ru(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 in 1 M NH4OH in a closed container, yielding a green solution. Purification is accomplished with cation-exchange chromatography. This compound is characterized and verified to be pure by UV-vis and IR spectroscopy. The mitochondrial calcium uptake inhibitory properties are assessed in permeabilized HeLa cells by fluorescence spectroscopy.