A mononuclear complex of Zn(II), [Zn(DIP)(2) (DMP)] (NO(3))(2)·2H(2)O in which DIP is 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline and DMP is 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine has been prepared and characterized by (1)HNMR spectroscopy, FT-IR, UV-Vis and elemental analysis techniques. DNA-binding properties of the complex were studied using UV-vis spectra, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, fluorescence, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and viscosity measurements. The results indicate that this zinc(II) complex can intercalate into the stacked base pairs of DNA and compete with the strong intercalator ethidium bromide for the intercalative binding sites.