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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Experimental Approaches for the Synthesis of Low-Valent Metal-Organic Frameworks from Multitopic Phosphine Linkers
Published on: May 12, 2023
A pH-responsive cleavage route based on a metal-organic coordination bond
Lei Xing1, Haoquan Zheng, Shunai Che
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, PR China.
Researchers developed pH-responsive nanoparticles using metal-organic coordination bonds. These nanoparticles release molecules when pH changes, offering a new stimulus-responsive drug delivery route.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Stimuli-responsive systems typically rely on secondary forces like hydrogen bonding or electrostatic interactions.
- Metal-organic coordination bonding, prevalent in biological systems, presents a novel avenue for stimulus-responsive applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize simple pH-responsive nanoparticles utilizing metal-organic coordination bonds.
- To investigate the controlled release of molecules from these nanoparticles triggered by pH variations.
Main Methods:
- Integration of metal ions and ligands to form metal-ligand coordination bonds.
- Self-assembly of metal-ligand species with biodegradable host molecules into nanoparticles.
- Evaluation of nanoparticle stability and ligand release under varying pH conditions.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated nanoparticles with "metal-ligand" and "host-metal-ligand" architectures.
- Demonstrated pH-triggered cleavage of metal-ligand and host-metal coordination bonds.
- Observed significant nanoparticle degradation and subsequent ligand release at specific pH levels.
Conclusions:
- Metal-organic coordination bonds offer a robust platform for creating pH-responsive nanomaterials.
- The designed nanoparticles enable controlled release of encapsulated molecules in response to environmental pH changes.
- This approach provides a promising strategy for targeted drug delivery and other biomedical applications.
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