Zeolitic imidazole framework coated Au nanorods for enhanced photothermal therapy and stability

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) were exploited to coat Au nanorods (AuNRs) as a hyperthermia agent for enhanced plasmonic photothermal therapy. The utilization of a MOF shell reduces the cytotoxicity of AuNRs and enhances the photothermal transduction efficiency of AuNRs, resulting in the improved phototoxicity of MOF coated AuNRs compared with the unmodified AuNRs.