Nanoscale coordination polymers: synthesis, characterization, and emerging biomedical applications.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Nanoscale coordination polymers (NCPs), including nanoMOFs and amorphous nanoparticles, are versatile hybrid materials.
• Their tunable composition, porosity, and surface properties enable precise control over drug delivery and biological interactions.
• NCPs show significant promise for theranostics, imaging, and therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in the synthesis and nanoscale engineering of NCPs.
• To highlight structure-property relationships crucial for biomedical performance.
• To examine the growing applications and future directions of NCPs in medicine.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent advancements in NCP synthesis and engineering.
• Analysis of structure-property relationships impacting biomedical applications.
• Incorporation of quantitative benchmarks from existing studies.

Main Results:

• NCPs demonstrate superior drug loading (e.g., ZIF-8 up to 70-80 wt%) and enhanced relaxivity (Gd-NCPs 25-30 mM⁻¹s⁻¹) compared to conventional materials.
• Characterization methods link material properties to biological functions effectively.
• NCPs show broad applications in drug delivery, biosensing, imaging, and antimicrobial/antiviral therapies.

Conclusions:

• NCPs are highly adaptable platforms for theranostics and drug delivery.
• Further research is needed to address challenges like biodegradation, toxicity, and clinical translation.
• Computational design and AI offer promising avenues for future NCP development.