Novel metal-organic framework biosensing platform for detection of COVID-19 RNA.

The latest pandemic resulting from the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has significantly affected public health, the worldwide economy, and social life. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are currently being implemented in biosensors for rapid and accurate detection of viruses thanks to their exceptional properties. This research aims to develop a Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) based fluorescent biosensor for facile and rapid COVID-19 RNA sequence detection. ZIF-8 was characterized using several tests, such as FT-IR, TGA, and PXRD, to examine the MOF's crystalline structure and thermal stability. The results demonstrated high crystallinity and thermal stability up to a temperature of 550 °C. The experimental study showed that ZIF-8 is an excellent fluorescence quencher, with 78.39% quenching efficiency. Analyzing the adsorption mechanism of probe DNA into ZIF-8 revealed that they can form electrostatic and π-π stacking interactions, forming a P-DNA@ZIF-8 complex and that PET is more dominant than FRET in the quenching mechanism. This ZIF-8 biosensing platform showed high sensitivity towards COVID-19 RNA with an ultra-low limit of detection of 6.24 pM, a rapid detection time of 8 min, and high selectivity to COVID-19 RNA. Indeed, ZIF-8 experienced much lower fluorescence recovery when tested on two mismatched RNAs. The experimental results show the potential use of ZIF-8 as a novel biosensor for a rapid and sensitive COVID-19 diagnosis.

Deep Learning for the Accurate Prediction of Triggered Drug Delivery.

The need to mitigate the adverse effects of chemotherapy has driven the exploration of innovative drug delivery approaches. One emerging trend in cancer treatment is the utilization of Drug Delivery Systems (DDSs), facilitated by nanotechnology. Nanoparticles, ranging from 1 nm to 1000 nm, act as carriers for chemotherapeutic agents, enabling precise drug delivery. The triggered release of these agents is vital for advancing this novel drug delivery system. Our research investigated this multifaceted delivery capability using liposomes and metal organic frameworks as nanocarriers and utilizing all three targeting techniques: passive, active, and triggered. Liposomes are modified using targeting ligands to render them more targeted toward certain cancers. Moieties are conjugated to the surfaces of these nanocarriers to allow for their binding to receptors overexpressed on cancer cells, thus increasing the accumulation of the agent at the tumor site. A novel class of nanocarriers, namely metal organic frameworks, has emerged, showing promise in cancer treatment. Triggering techniques (both intrinsic and extrinsic) can be used to release therapeutic agents from nanoparticles, thus enhancing the efficacy of drug delivery. In this study, we develop a predictive model combining experimental measurements with deep learning techniques. The model accurately predicts drug release from liposomes and MOFs under various conditions, including low- and high-frequency ultrasound (extrinsic triggering), microwave exposure (extrinsic triggering), ultraviolet light exposure (extrinsic triggering), and different pH levels (intrinsic triggering). The deep learning-based predictions significantly outperform linear predictions, proving the utility of advanced computational methods in drug delivery. Our findings demonstrate the potential of these nanocarriers and highlight the efficacy of deep learning models in predicting drug release behavior, paving the way for enhanced cancer treatment strategies.

Microwave-Responsive Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for Enhanced In Vitro Controlled Release of Doxorubicin.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are excellent candidates for a range of applications because of their numerous advantages, such as high surface area, porosity, and thermal and chemical stability. In this study, microwave (MW) irradiation is used as a novel stimulus in vitro controlled release of Doxorubicin (DOX) from two MOFs, namely Fe-BTC and MIL-53(Al), to enhance drug delivery in cancer therapy. DOX was encapsulated into Fe-BTC and MIL-53(Al) with drug-loading efficiencies of up to 67% for Fe-BTC and 40% for MIL-53(Al). Several characterization tests, including XRD, FTIR, TGA, BET, FE-SEM, and EDX, confirmed both MOF samples' drug-loading and -release mechanisms. Fe-BTC exhibited a substantial improvement in drug-release efficiency (54%) when exposed to microwave irradiation at pH 7.4 for 50 min, whereas 11% was achieved without the external modality. A similar result was observed at pH 5.3; however, in both cases, the release efficiencies were substantially higher with microwave exposure (40%) than without (6%). In contrast, MIL-53(Al) exhibited greater sensitivity to pH, displaying a higher release rate (66%) after 38 min at pH 5.3 compared to 55% after 50 min at pH 7.4 when subjected to microwave irradiation. These results highlight the potential of both MOFs as highly heat-responsive to thermal stimuli. The results of the MTT assay demonstrated the cell viability across different concentrations of the MOFs after two days of incubation. This suggests that MOFs hold promise as potential candidates for tumor targeting. Additionally, the fact that the cells maintained their viability at different durations of microwave exposure confirms that the latter is a safe modality for triggering drug release from MOFs.

Synthesis and performance analysis of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks for CO2 sensing applications.

In this paper, we investigate the potential use of Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIF-8) as a sensing material for CO2 detection. Three synthesis techniques are considered for the preparation of ZIF-8, namely room temperature, microwave-assisted, and ball milling. The latter is a green and facile alternative for synthesis with its solvent-free, room-temperature operation. In addition, ball milling produces ZIF-8 samples with superior CO2 adsorption and detection characteristics, as concluded from fluorescence measurements. Characterization tests including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) are conducted to inspect the structural morphology, the thermal stability, and elements content of the ZIF-8 samples obtained from the different aforementioned synthesis techniques. The characterization tests revealed the appearance of a new phase of ZIF-8 which is ZIF-L when deploying the ball milling technique with different structure, morphology, response to CO2 exposure and thermal stability when compared to its counterparts. Fluorescence measurements are carried out to evaluate the limit of detection (LOD), selectivity, and recyclability of the different ZIF-8 samples. The LOD of the ZIF-8 sample synthesized based on ball milling synthesis technique is 815.2 ppm, while LODs of the samples obtained from microwave and room temperature-based synthesis techniques are 1780.6 ppm and 723.8 ppm, respectively. This indicates that the room temperature and ball milling produced MOFs have comparable LODs. However, the room temperature procedure requires the use of a harmful solvent. The range of LOD demonstrates the suitable use of ZIF-8 for indoor air quality monitoring and other industrial applications.

Efficient removal of cationic dye using ZIF-8 based sodium alginate composite beads: Performance evaluation in batch and column systems.

The environmental and health risks associated with dye contamination in water sources are alarming. Recently, researchers have been focusing on developing an innovative and susceptible solution using composite beads that effectively combat this issue. In this paper, beads were synthesized using a sodium alginate (SA) and zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) through a simple dipping process. Several characterization tests were performed including XRD, FTIR, BET, TGA, and SEM-EDX. The SEM images confirmed that SA effectively coated the cubical structure of the ZIF-8, ensuring optimal performance. The efficiency of the resulting SA@ZIF-8 composite beads was tested on both synthetic malachite green dye and real industrial wastewater samples using batch and fixed bed column reactors. The findings revealed that maximum adsorption of 95.5% was achieved at pH 6 in 120 min of reaction time. FTIR and SEM analysis also confirmed the adsorption of MG dye onto the beads. The Freundlich isotherm model (R2 > 0.99) has a better fit than the Langmuir (R2 > 0.96) for describing the adsorption process. The PSO model predicted the kinetics of the system, whereas the intraparticle diffusion study supported the system's mechanistic analysis. Furthermore, the study also investigated the efficacy of the beads in treating real wastewater effluent samples collected from the dye industry. Overall, using sodium alginate-coated ZIF-8 beads was found to have many advantages over powdered ZIF-8, including higher selectivity, stability, reusability, and practicality, making them a promising alternative for adsorption applications. Therefore, these composite beads have the potential for the removal of the dye from wastewater, which could be widely applied in various industries.

Recent advances in Metal-Organic Frameworks as nanocarriers for triggered release of anticancer drugs: Brief history, biomedical applications, challenges and future perspective.

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a promising biomedical material due to its unique features such as high surface area, pore volume, variable pore size, flexible functional groups, and excellent efficiency for drug loading. In this review, we explored the use of novel and smart metal organic frameworks as drug delivery vehicles to discover a safer and more controlled mode of drug release aiming to minimize their side effects. Here, we systematically discussed the background of MOFs following a thorough review on structural and physical properties of MOFs, their synthesis techniques, and the important characteristics to establish a strong foundation for future research. Furthermore, the current status on the potential applications of MOF-based stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems, including pH-, ion-, temperature-, light-, and multiple responsive systems for the delivery of anticancer drugs has also been presented. Lastly, we discuss the prospects and challenges in implementation of MOF-based materials in the drug delivery. Therefore, this review will help researchers working in the relevant fields to enhance their understanding of MOFs for encapsulation of various drugs as well as their stimuli responsive mechanism.

Hybrid liposome/metal-organic framework as a promising dual-responsive nanocarriers for anticancer drug delivery.

In this work, liposome-coated iron (III) benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Fe-BTC) metal-organic framework is examined as a promising pH/Ultrasound dual-responsive nanocarriers for doxorubicin (DOX) delivery. The successful coating of the MOF particles (Lip-Fe-BTC) with the phospholipid bilayer (PBL) was established by direct fusion into the synthesized liposomes. The liposome coating was verified using several techniques, including dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The DLS measurements showed an increase in the average particle diameter of liposomes from 150 nm to 163.1 nm for Lip-Fe-BTC particles. The Fe-BTC particles had the highest average particle diameter (287.3 nm). These results demonstrated that the PBL reduced the aggregation of the particles and improved their dispersity in the release medium. The TGA results demonstrated the MOF's excellent thermal stability. Furthermore, the nanocarrier's loading efficiency and capacity were determined to be ~90% and ~13.5 wt%, respectively. The in-vitro DOX release experiments demonstrated that the DOX-loaded Fe-BTC and liposome-coated Fe-BTC particles showed good pH and US dual-responsive capability, making them promising nanocarriers for drug delivery. The application of US enhanced DOX release from both Fe-BTC and liposome-coated Fe-BTC. In the case of Fe-BTC-DOX particles, the application of US enhanced the DOX release to around 38% and 67%, at pH levels of 7.4 and 5.3, respectively. Similarly, DOX release from the Lip-Fe-BTC-DOX particles reached ~35% and ~53%, at pH levels of 7.4 and 5.3, respectively. The MTT assay showed the biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity of these nanocarriers below 100 µg/ml.

Encapsulation, Release, and Cytotoxicity of Doxorubicin Loaded in Liposomes, Micelles, and Metal-Organic Frameworks: A Review.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most widely used anthracycline anticancer drugs due to its high efficacy and evident antitumoral activity on several cancer types. However, its effective utilization is hindered by the adverse side effects associated with its administration, the detriment to the patients' quality of life, and general toxicity to healthy fast-dividing cells. Thus, delivering DOX to the tumor site encapsulated inside nanocarrier-based systems is an area of research that has garnered colossal interest in targeted medicine. Nanoparticles can be used as vehicles for the localized delivery and release of DOX, decreasing the effects on neighboring healthy cells and providing more control over the drug's release and distribution. This review presents an overview of DOX-based nanocarrier delivery systems, covering loading methods, release rate, and the cytotoxicity of liposomal, micellar, and metal organic frameworks (MOFs) platforms.

Biomedical Applications of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Disease Diagnosis and Drug Delivery: A Review.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a novel class of porous hybrid organic-inorganic materials that have attracted increasing attention over the past decade. MOFs can be used in chemical engineering, materials science, and chemistry applications. Recently, these structures have been thoroughly studied as promising platforms for biomedical applications. Due to their unique physical and chemical properties, they are regarded as promising candidates for disease diagnosis and drug delivery. Their well-defined structure, high porosity, tunable frameworks, wide range of pore shapes, ultrahigh surface area, relatively low toxicity, and easy chemical functionalization have made them the focus of extensive research. This review highlights the up-to-date progress of MOFs as potential platforms for disease diagnosis and drug delivery for a wide range of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, and ocular diseases. A brief description of the synthesis methods of MOFs is first presented. Various examples of MOF-based sensors and DDSs are introduced for the different diseases. Finally, the challenges and perspectives are discussed to provide context for the future development of MOFs as efficient platforms for disease diagnosis and drug delivery systems.

Recent Advances in Metal-Organic Frameworks as Anticancer Drug Delivery Systems: A Review.

BACKGROUND: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as attractive hybrid crystalline porous materials, are being increasingly investigated in biomedical applications owing to their exceptional properties, including high porosity, ultrahigh surface areas, tailorable composition and structure, and tunability and surface functionality. Of interest, in this review, is the design and development of MOF-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) that have excellent biocompatibility, good stability under physiological conditions, high drug loading capacity, and controlled/targeted drug release. OBJECTIVE: This review highlights the latest advances in MOFs as anticancer drug delivery systems (DDSs) along with insights on their design, fabrication, and performance under different stimuli that are either internal or external. The synthesis methods of MOFs, along with their advantages and disadvantages, are briefly discussed. The emergence of multifunctional MOF-based theranostic platforms is also discussed. Finally, the future challenges facing the developments of MOFs in the field of drug delivery are discussed. METHODS: The review was prepared by carrying out a comprehensive literature survey using relevant work published in various scientific databases. RESULTS: Novel MOFs in biomedical applications, especially in drug delivery, have shown great potential. MOF-based DDSs can be classified into normal (non-controllable) DDSs, stimuli-responsive DDSs, and theranostic platforms. The normal DDSs are pristine MOFs loaded with therapeutic agents and offer little to no control over drug release. Stimuli-responsive DDSs offer better spatiotemporal control over drug release by responding to either endogenous (pH, redox, ions, ATP) or exogenous stimuli (light, magnetism, US, pressure, temperature). The theranostic platforms combine stimuli-responsive drug delivery with diagnostic imaging functionality, paving the road for imaging-guided drug delivery. CONCLUSION: This review presented a summary of the various methods utilized in MOF's synthesis along with the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Furthermore, the review highlighted and discussed the latest developments in the field of MOF-based DDSs and theranostic platforms. The review is focused on the characteristics of MOF-based DDSs, the encapsulation of different anticancer drugs as well as their stimuli-responsive release.

Photocatalytic demulsification of oil/water emulsions containing nonionic surfactant.

Separation of oil-water (OW) emulsions is investigated using a photocatalytic demulsification approach. Experiments were conducted using two types of photocatalysts, namely, ZnO and TiO2. The emulsion samples were prepared with oil to water ratios of 1:3, 1:1, and 3:1 and using nonionic surfactant Tween 20 as an emulsifier. The demulsification efficiency was determined using a direct time varying phase separation measurement, while dynamic light scattering (DLS) and microscope imaging (MI) were used to determine the change in emulsion droplets size. The investigation results showed that all the emulsions were destabilized and separated within 30-90 min with demulsification efficiency that ranged from 38 to 90%. On the other hand, untreated control samples remained stable with no phase separation for more than 24 h. For most of the studied experimental conditions, TiO2 nanoparticles gave better demulsification results than ZnO. Modeling of the batch demulsification kinetics for both systems agreed satisfactorily with the experimental measurements. This could allow its further extension towards design of continuous processes for potential implementation in treatment of industrial oily wastewaters.

Facile Ultrasound-Triggered Release of Calcein and Doxorubicin from Iron-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising new nanocarriers with potential use in anticancer drug delivery. However, there is a scarcity of studies on the uptake and release of guest molecules associated with MOF nanovehicles, and their mechanism is poorly understood. In this work, newly developed iron-based MOFs, namely Fe-NDC nanorods, were investigated as potential nanocarriers for calcein (as a model drug/dye) and Doxorubicin (a chemotherapeutic drug (DOX)). Calcein was successfully loaded by equilibrating its solution with the MOFs nanoparticles under constant stirring. The calcein average encapsulation efficiency achieved was 43.13%, with a corresponding capacity of 17.74 wt.%. In-vitro calcein release was then carried out at 37°C in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) using ultrasound (US) as an external trigger. MOFs released an average of 17.8% (without US), whereas they released up to 95.2% of their contents when 40-kHz US at ~1 W/cm² was applied for 10 min. The Cytotoxic drug DOX was also encapsulated in Fe-NDC, and its In-vitro release profile was determined under the same conditions. DOX encapsulation efficiency and capacity were found to be 16.10% and 13.37 wt.%, respectively. In-vitro release experiments demonstrated significant release, reaching 80% in 245 minutes, under acoustic irradiation, compared to around 6% in the absence of US. Additionally, experimental results showed that Fe-NDC nanoparticles are biocompatible even at relatively high concentrations, with an MCF-7 IC50 of 1022 g/ml. Our work provides a promising platform for anticancer drug delivery by utilizing biocompatible Fe-NDC nanoparticles and US as an external trigger mechanism.

Photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical micro-pollutants using ZnO.

This research paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of the degradation of three different contaminants including progesterone (PGS), ibuprofen (IBU), and naproxen (NAP) using ZnO as the photocatalyst and ultraviolet (UV) light as a source for catalysts activation. Two operating parameters, namely, catalyst loading and initial concentration of contaminants, were tested in a batch photocatalytic reactor. To demonstrate the large-scale applications, experiments were also conducted in a submerged membrane photocatalytic reactor. It has proven that ZnO photocatalyst degraded the three contaminants very efficiently under almost all the studied experimental conditions, with efficiency rates of 92.3, 94.5, and 98.7 % for PSG, IBU, and NAP, respectively. The photodegradation kinetics study was performed to calculate the reaction rate constant, which is found to follow pseudo-first order kinetics. The membrane photocatalytic reactor was efficient to remove pollutants and it is observed that the degradation rate increases with increasing the membrane oscillation frequency approaching that of the stirred reactor.

Synthesis of Metal-Organic Framework from Iron Nitrate and 2,6-Naphthalenedicarboxylic Acid and Its Application as Drug Carrier.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly crystalline porous organic-inorganic materials that are comprised of metal salts and organic linkers. The common synthetic methodologies of MOFs include: solvothermal, microwave-assisted, electrochemical, mechanochemical, and sonochemical routes. The synthesized MOF particles can be characterized using several characterization techniques including: X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and other analytical techniques. Recently, MOFs have garnered increasing attention due to their potential applications in numerous areas including: catalysis, gas storage and separation, drug delivery, and others. In this research paper, a new metal-organic framework was synthesized successfully from iron nitrate and 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (1) by means of microwave irradiation (Fe-NDC-M) and (2) solvothermally using a conventional electric oven (Fe-NDC-O). They were characterized using XRD, SEM, FTIR, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and N2 sorption experiments. The characterization results showed that the synthesized samples were crystals with a rod-like shape. The particle diameters ranged between 50-80 nm with a length of 300-450 nm. The BJH adsorption averagepore diameters were found to be 148.551 Å and 139.265 Å for Fe-NDC-M and Fe-NDC-O, respectively. As a result, the new Fe-NDC-MOF particles can be used as nanocarriers for anticancer drug delivery applications utilizing the enhanced permeability and retention effect.

Anti-cancer Drug Delivery Using Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs).

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in the body and is considered as one of the major causes of death globally. There are several cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents used to treat cancer including methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, tamoxifen, doxorubicin and others. Although billions of dollars have been spent on cancer research to develop these chemotherapies, it still remains a major illness for mankind partly due to the shortcomings of these therapies. These shortcomings include low targeting specificity, severe side effects (due to high doses) and poor pharmacokinetics. To avoid these drawbacks, anti-cancer drug delivery systems have been developed recently using nanocarriers including liposomes, micelles, polyelectrolyte capsules and others. One of the recent class of nanoparticles investigated for chemotherapeutic use are metal organic frameworks (MOFs) which are hybrid polymers that consist of metal ions or clusters and organic ligands. MOFs are used in many applications including gas/vapor separation, gas storage, catalysis, luminescent materials, and biomedical imaging. These structures have additional features that promote their use as drug carriers in the biomedical field. First, they are nontoxic, biodegradable and have the ability to carry high loadings of the anti-neoplastic agent due to their porous nature. Also, they have well-defined crystalline structures that can be characterized by different analytical techniques and their sizes are suitable to control their in vivo drug release. This paper reviews the methods used to synthesize MOFs and their recent use as antineoplastic drug delivery carriers.

Emulsification Characteristics Using a Dynamic Woven Metal Microscreen Membrane.

An oscillatory emulsification system for the production of oil in water emulsions using a commercially available low-cost woven metal microscreen (WMMS) is investigated. The system allows for independent control of both the oscillation frequencies and amplitudes such that it provides two degrees of freedom for controlling the emulsion properties. The investigations included the production of both surfactant and particle-stabilized emulsions. The average droplet size was found to decrease when both the oscillation frequency and amplitude was increased. For surfactant-stabilized emulsions, using bi-surfactants in both the continuous and dispersed phases resulted in a smaller droplet size due to lower interfacial tension. For particle-stabilized emulsions, both the hydrodynamics of the system and the hydrophobic and hydrophilic nature of the stabilizing particles influenced the interfacial properties at the oil-water interface, which in turn affected the final droplet size and distribution with potential droplet breakage. In absence of the latter, a simple torque balance model can be used to reasonably predict the average emulsion droplet size.

Carbon dioxide capturing technologies: a review focusing on metal organic framework materials (MOFs).

In this study, a relevant literature has been reviewed focusing on the carbon dioxide capture technologies in general, such as amine-based absorption as conventional carbon dioxide capturing technology, aqueous ammonia-based absorption, membranes, and adsorption material (e.g., zeolites, and activated carbons). In more details, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as new emerging technologies for carbon dioxide adsorption are discussed. The MOFs section is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of MOFs including material characteristics and synthesis, structural features, CO2 adsorption capacity, heat of adsorption and selectivity of CO2.

Mathematical modeling and experimental breakthrough curves of carbon dioxide adsorption on metal organic framework CPM-5.

It is essential to capture carbon dioxide from flue gas because it is considered one of the main causes of global warming. Several materials and different methods have been reported for CO2 capturing including adsorption onto zeolites and porous membranes, as well as absorption in amine solutions. All such methods require high energy input and high cost. A new class of porous materials called Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) exhibited excellent performance in extracting carbon dioxide from a gas mixture. In this study, the breakthrough curves for the adsorption of carbon dioxide on CPM-5 (crystalline porous materials) were obtained experimentally and theoretically using a laboratory-scale fixed-bed column at different experimental conditions such as feed flow rate, adsorption temperature, and feed concentration. It was found that the CPM-5 has a dynamic CO2 adsorption capacity of 11.9 wt % (2.7 mmol/g) (corresponding to 8 mL/min, 298 K, and 25% v/v CO2). The tested CPM-5 showed an outstanding adsorption equilibrium capacity (e.g., 2.3 mmol/g (10.2 wt %) at 298 K) compared to other adsorbents, which can be considered as an attractive adsorbent for separation of CO2 from flue gas.