Cation-Triggered Drug Release from a Porous Zinc-Adeninate Metal-Organic Framework

A porous anionic metal-organic framework, bio-MOF-1, constructed using adenine as a biomolecular building block is described. The porosity of this material is evaluated, its stability in biological buffers is studied, and its potential as a material for controlled drug release is investigated. Specifically, procainamide HCl is loaded into the pores of bio-MOF-1 using a simple cation exchange process. Exogenous cations from biological buffers are shown to affect the release of the adsorbed drug molecules.