Abstract
Various (heterocyclo)carbonyl mono-oxime esters of anthraquinone were synthesized, which exhibied ability for single-strand scission of DNA upon UV irradiation. Their structure–acitivity relationship was established, in which the most potent compound was anthraquinone O-9-(1,3-benothiazole-2-carbonyl)oxime. It can nick DNA at the concentration as low as 1.0 μM.