ABSTRACT
Mesoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are suitable sorbents for adsorption/encapsulation and controlled desorption/release of pharmaceutical drugs, since MOFs can meet many of the essential requirements. The encapsulation of certain medicinal drugs on nano-MOFs (NMOFs) has been investigated in the recent decade for at least three major classes of biologically active compounds: (1) anticancer drugs, (2) antiviral drugs, and (3) miscellaneous pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). The structure of the nonflexible MIL-100 MOF was retained after encapsulation of the drug as confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Photo-induced drug release is believed to work due to weakening of the ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) complex upon absorption of the photon. Drug release was studied by dialysis of the encapsulated MOF in PBS at pH 7.4 and room temperature. Encapsulation of caffeine is a challenge for the cosmetic industry, since caffeine tends to crystallize, which leads to poor loadings and uncontrolled release.
