ᶫ-Leucine Loading and Release in MIL-100 Nanoparticles

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer tunable porosity for various applications.
• MIL-100 MOFs are synthesized via different methods, influencing particle characteristics.
• Understanding MOF properties is crucial for developing advanced materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize MIL-100 MOF particles using hydrothermal and microwave-assisted methods.
• To characterize the synthesized particles and evaluate their loading and release capabilities.
• To assess the cytotoxicity of MIL-100 MOFs and the impact of ᶫ-leucine loading.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal (HT) and microwave (MW)-assisted synthesis of MIL-100.
• Characterization using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), and Nitrogen Sorption.
• Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) for aggregation studies.
• Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and UV-VIS spectroscopy for loading and release.
• Cytotoxicity assessment using HeLa cells.

Main Results:

• HT synthesis yielded microparticles with larger crystallites, while MW synthesis produced nanoparticles.
• Both methods resulted in highly porous MIL-100 particles.
• Particles showed aggregation in aqueous solution but improved stability in acetic acid.
• Successful loading and release of ᶫ-leucine were quantified.
• Unloaded MIL-100 particles exhibited some cytotoxicity, which was reduced upon ᶫ-leucine loading.

Conclusions:

• Synthesis method significantly impacts MIL-100 particle size and crystallinity.
• MIL-100 MOFs possess high porosity suitable for molecule loading.
• ᶫ-leucine loading can mitigate the inherent cytotoxicity of MIL-100 particles.
• These findings support the potential of MIL-100 MOFs for biomedical applications, particularly drug delivery.