A water-soluble C60-porphyrin compound for highly efficient DNA photocleavage.

A water-soluble covalently linked C-60-porphyrin compound-C(60)Por is reported to show enhanced DNA-cleaving activity. The highly enhanced DNA-cleaving activity is expected to be ascribed to the high water-solubility and affinity of C(60)Por to DNA, as well as to the accessibility to the charge-separated states C-60(center dot-)-Por(center dot+) formed under radiation.