Synthesis and Characterization of Metal-organic Frameworks for Potential Uses in Cancer Therapy

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline materials, characterized for their high surface areas and defined pore architectures. These materials, first synthesized and characterized in the 1990s, have seen an increase interest due to their inherent properties. As a result of their hybrid nature, MOFs can be used in a wide range of applications, from catalysis and gas storage, to drug delivery and cancer therapy. While commonly using transition metals as building blocks, using lanthanide as their metal centers further increases the range of MOF applications. Using holmium in these materials could potentially create an improved cancer therapy method by delivering both a radiation source and a radiosensitizer to the cancer sites. This work in particular focuses on the synthesis and characterization of several frameworks, with the focus of using these materials for cancer therapy applications.