Structural Design and Functional Advantages of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) in Drug Delivery Systems
International Congress on Undergraduate Capstone Projects in Engineering and Natural Sciences, İstanbul, Türkiye, 11 - 12 Mayıs 2026, ss.91, (Özet Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: İstanbul
- Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.91
- İstanbul Üniversitesi-Cerrahpaşa Adresli: Evet
Özet
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a promising class of materials and attracted enormous scientific interest
over the past two decades due to their tunable structures, high surface area, and versatile functionalities. The current IUPAC
definition of MOFs is as follows: a MOF is ‘a coordination polymer with an open framework containing potential voids’. Benefiting
from their unique porous crystalline structures, MOFs exhibit much higher porosities and larger surface areas compared to traditional
porous materials, such as naturally occurred inorganic compounds, e.g. zeolites. MOFs are more beneficial than zeolites because
they demonstrate structural flexibility, tunable porosity, variable organic functionality, and physical/thermal stability. MOFs are
composed of metal ions or clusters coordinated with organic ligands, where the metal ions or clusters serve as the nodes, and the
organic ligands act as the structural supports. A wide range of metal ions from the periodic table can be used as the nodal metal
centers in MOFs, providing structural rigidity. As linkers organic molecules with rigid structures are commonly used to construct
the framework. By choosing different metals and organic parts, MOFs can be created with specific features for many uses. MOFs
become not only high-performing but also more valid for areas such as separation, catalysis, energy storage, sensing, and drug
delivery. In the field of environmental remediation, MOFs are highly effective at selectively adsorbing heavy metals and organic
pollutants from water and air, while also offering photocatalytic capabilities to degrade persistent compounds under light exposure.
Regarding gas handling and carbon capture, their unique porous networks allow for the high-density storage of hydrogen and the
efficient sequestration of greenhouse gases, which is essential for advancing clean energy technologies. In the domain of energy
storage, MOFs are being integrated into batteries and supercapacitors to enhance stability and charge density, particularly when
optimized through green synthesis to reduce industrial environmental impact. Furthermore, MOFs serve as advanced catalysts, where
their large surface area and active sites accelerate chemical transformations under milder, more sustainable conditions compared to
traditional alternatives. Their role in sensing is also critical, as they can be engineered to respond to specific biological or chemical
signals, providing high sensitivity for real-time monitoring. MOFs have gradually found applications in medicine, particularly in
drug delivery. Their highly tunable structures and ability to encapsulate bioactive molecules have positioned them as promising
candidates for controlled release systems, targeted therapy, and imaging applications. MOFs provide a protective barrier that shields
encapsulated drugs from environmental degradation. Sensitive drugs, such as proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids, often face
challenges related to premature degradation. MOFs help reduce these issues by creating a stable microenvironment that preserves
drug stability until it reaches its target. Interestingly, researchers have also demonstrated that MOFs can be used to encapsulate and
stabilize particles from microorganisms such as bacteria. This opens new possibilities in vaccine delivery and biosensing. In addition,
MOFs have been successfully used to load and protect antibodies, preserving their biological activity and enabling targeted delivery
for immunotherapy and diagnostic applications. Research continues into the production of new MOF materials with high chemical,
thermal, and biological stability and superior structural durability, thanks to the design freedom they provide. MOFs developed
particularly over the last two decades have found a wide range of applications in the field of materials science and have elevated
these areas to more advanced technological levels. The synthesis of new analog structures, particularly those produced using
computer-aided design, is leading to innovative approaches in biological research. These approaches increase industrial application
possibilities by enabling access to high efficiency at reasonable costs. This study will present an evaluation of the advantages offered
by MOFs with different designs specifically for drug delivery systems.