Nuclear targeting terpyridine iron(II) complexes for cellular imaging and remarkable photocytotoxicity

► Iron(II) complexes of terpyridyl bases are synthesized and characterized. ► The complexes show photocleavage of plasmid DNA in visible light. ► The complexes show photocytotoxicity in HeLa cells in visible light. ► Confocal imaging shows nuclear uptake of the complexes in HeLa cells.