Metal-organic Frameworks as Controlled Release Materials

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Billions of dollars each year are spent on the discovery of new pharmaceuticals that offer safer, more effective treatments for diseases and ailments. Drug release materials offer a way to drastically improve medications we already have available by controlling when, where, and how rapidly pharmaceuticals are released. However, current drug release materials, largely based on organic polymers, lipids, and metallic nanoparticles, suffer from low drug loadings, poor control over drug release kinetics, stability problems, and a variety of reproducibility issues. In this research program, we will take advantage of a new class of materials known as Metal-organic Frameworks (MOFs), which offers several potential advantages over currently used materials due to their higher drug loading capabilities and their high degree of modularity/reproducibility. In particular, we will target a new subclass of materials in which the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient or API is directly encapsulated/incorporated in the MOF material during synthesis, thus avoiding the ineffective post-synthetic loading methods used to incorporate drugs into current release materials. Over the course of this research, we will work towards developing a universal protocol for the direct incorporation of any small molecule pharmaceutical into a controllable MOF drug release matrix. We will target the development of nano-crystalline materials with favorable drug release rates which can also be activated to release their drug payload when exposed to an appropriate stimulus such as light or a high acidity environment. This multi-disciplinary research program offers a unique training environment for the next generation of innovative Canadian scientists and involves aspects of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and materials science. The advancement of nanotechnologies for drug release is a rapidly growing area, and this research program offers the possibility to develop better medications and new technologies within Canada, leading to an economic benefit and increased quality of life for all Canadians.