Covalent organic frameworks: from linkages to biomedical applications

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), as an emerging class of ordered and porous crystal material, are mainly composed of light elements (H, B, C, N and O) via the formation of dynamic covalent bonds, and equipped with various unique properties, such as excellent biocompatibility, tailorable porosity, high stability and crystallinity, and easy modifiability, facilitating it an admirable candidate for biomedical applications. To better understand the building-up process of COFs and their value in biological applications, we make a detailed review of them as follows. At first, different types of chemical linkages for forming various bonds-based COFs are summarized and classified. Then, the biomedical applications are outlined and highlighted, especially in fields of cargo carrier, cancer therapy, biosensing and biocatalysis. At last, some prospects and the faced challenges presently are also proposed for further extending the application value of COFs. In general, the current development of COFs is still in infancy stage, but such unique properties really have paved the way for its application in diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Automated summary

In this article, we provide a detailed review of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as an emerging class of crystal materials with unique properties. We summarize the different types of chemical linkages used in the formation of COFs and classify them. The biomedical applications of COFs, such as cargo carriers, cancer therapy, biosensing, and biocatalysis, are outlined. The prospects and challenges for further expanding the application value of COFs are also discussed.