Postsynthetic\nLigand Exchange of Metal–Organic Framework for Photodynamic\nTherapy

Abstract

Attributed to the\nlarge pore size and excellent stability, the metal–organic\nframework (MOF), NU-1000, which is formed by the coordination of Zr\ncluster and 1,3,6,8-tetrakis­(<i>p</i>-benzoic acid)­pyrene\n(H₄TBAPy) ligand, has been widely studied in the catalysis\nresearch field; however, only a few reports about the biomedical application\nof NU-1000 could be found in the open literature. In this study, a\nfunctional ligand, tetrakis­(4-carboxyphenyl)­porphyrin (TCPP), was\nintroduced into NU-1000 via a postsynthetic ligand exchange method\nand the resulting mixed ligand MOF has an excellent photodynamic effect.\nFinally, in vitro and in vivo assessment about the antitumor efficacy\nwas investigated for the first time. It demonstrates the feasibility\nof TCPP-substituted NU-1000 to be used for photodynamic therapy and\nalso provides an alternative approach to enrich the function of MOF\nfor various applications via a postsynthetic method.