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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks
Published on: September 5, 2014
A protein@metal-organic framework nanocomposite for pH-triggered anticancer drug delivery
Zuozhong Liang1, Zhiyuan Yang, Haitao Yuan
1Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China. zhenghaoquan@snnu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
We have synthesized a core@shell nanocomposite using biocompatible bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the core and a pH-sensitive metal-organic framework (MOF) as the shell. Doxorubicin (DOX)/BSA nanoparticles as cores have been prepared. A zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) layer has been coated on the outer surface of the DOX/BSA core. The ZIF layer acts as a capsule for the safe storage of DOX under physiological conditions. An efficient pH-responsive drug delivery system using a BSA/DOX@ZIF, in which the drug is not released in PBS at pH 7.4 but is released at low pH (5.0-6.0), has been constructed. Compared to the pure ZIF, a better biocompatibility has been obtained using the BSA/DOX@ZIF. The BSA/DOX@ZIF shows a much higher efficacy than free DOX against the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. The positive charges on the outer surface of the BSA/DOX@ZIF also improve its cellular uptake.
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