A comprehensive study of the erosion mechanism of porous hybrid particles

PhD, 36 months, AAP 2017-1

Project leader : Ruxandra Gref

Abstract:

Research in the field of drug delivery has witnessed tremendous progress in recent years due unlimited potential to improve human health. Nanotechnology provides opportunities to manipulate and organize matter at the nanometer scale to elaborate reservoirs for the controlled release of drugs at targeted sites in the body. Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have recently emerged as crystalline porous materials of interest for biomedical applications, with potential applications in drug delivery and imaging. Their high porosity, large surface areas and versatility in terms of composition and functionalities make the MOFs particularly appealing for the incorporation of high drug payloads. However, little is known about the mechanism of degradation of MOFs in biological media, involving release of organic linkers, possible aggregation, crystallinity loss and eventually disintegration. The aim of this project is to gain new insights into the degradation mechanisms of MOFs( iron or zirconium carboxylates, Cu or Zn azolates etc). Mico- and nanoparticles with well-defined sizes and compositions will be prepared and loaded with drugs of interest. The drugs will be either coordinated to the metal sites or adsorbed inside the MOF porosity. This will have an impact on the degradation kinetics. A deep understanding of the degradation and release mechanisms is crucial in the design of optimized MOFs for biomedical applications. This interdisciplinary project involves three complementary teams from ISMO, ENS and Soleil.

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