Covalent Organic Frameworks with Nanopores for Biological Applications: A Review

Abstract

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a class of functional nanoporous materials, not only hold the fundamental characteristics of reticular chemistry but also have advantages of robust covalent connectivity and chromophoric networks with extended π-conjugation. Therefore, the integration of biologically relevant building blocks to form biocompatible COFs through tailor-made design principles will make them highly suitable for biomedical research. Herein, we briefly describe the most important biological applications of nanoscale COFs, such as drug delivery, bioimaging, phototherapy, and antibacterial properties. Finally, the existing challenges and prospects of COF-based nanomaterials for advanced biomedical applications have been discussed.

Covalent Organic Frameworks: Recent Progress in Biomedical Applications

“…PSs are the therapeutic agents, which can interact with light and oxygen to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially, cytotoxic singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), to damage cancer cells . Some molecular PSs, such as porphyrin and phthalocyanine, have been used for cancer therapy; however, most of these traditional PSs still suffer from inherent drawbacks, including poor water solubility, aggregation, and low cell permeability, which limit their further applications in PDT. Therefore, it is necessary to design and synthesize PSs with good biocompatibility and high efficiency for PDT.…”

“…Photothermal therapy (PTT) is also an important way to treat disease via the generation of heat from light absorption to kill the tumor or cancer cells . In previous reports, − many materials have been employed for photothermal ablation of cancer cells. These materials are metal plasmonic nanostructures, semiconductor nanoparticles, and conjugated polymers .…”

“…Since there are many excellent reviews on COF-based materials related to assembly strategies, ,− energy applications, , gas separation, catalytic reactions, , or other applications, − it is not necessary for us to summarize the types of COFs on the basis of different linkages and the abovementioned applications. Instead, this review focuses on the recent developments of COFs for various biomedical applications.…”

Molecular Nanotechnology for Tomorrow’s World: A Forum Dedicated to Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart on the Occasion of His 80th Birthday

“…32 Wang et al comprehensively reviewed recent developments of nanoporous covalent organic frameworks for bioimaging, drug delivery, phototherapy, and antibacterial applications. 33 Zhao and co-workers highlighted the recent advances of artificial nanosystems for the activation of immunity to treat bacteria-induced infectious diseases. 34 The papers in this Forum present recent developments of functional nanostructures and nanosystems for diverse applications, such as energy, sustainability, catalysis, detection, separation, sensing, imaging, drug delivery, and therapeutics.…”

“…Bruns and co-workers prepared diarylethene-doped polystyrene nanoparticles as photochromic intradermal tattoos for applications in personal γ-ray dosimetry . Wang et al comprehensively reviewed recent developments of nanoporous covalent organic frameworks for bioimaging, drug delivery, phototherapy, and antibacterial applications . Zhao and co-workers highlighted the recent advances of artificial nanosystems for the activation of immunity to treat bacteria-induced infectious diseases …”