Figure 1.

Schematic representation of DNA/RNA cleavage catalyzed by metal complexes; arrows indicate the nucleophilic attack and leaving groups during substitution, Mⁿ⁺ = mostly divalent cations (A) assisted by metallosurfactants with bidentate N,N ligands (B), and (C) with different substituents, Mⁿ⁺ = mostly in octahedral and tetrahedral coordination geometry, m = the net charge of the complex, including surfactant contribution.