Precise regulation of MOF morphology and structure via organic linker ratio adjustment for enhanced tumor-specific therapy

Abstract

Precise control over the morphology and structure of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for optimizing their functional properties, particularly in tumor-specific therapy, remains a significant challenge. Here, we demonstrate the tunable construction of MOFs by adjusting the ratio of two organic linkers, 4,4′-dithiobisbenzoic acid (DTBA) and 4-((4-carboxybenzyl)amino)benzoic acid (CBAB), which govern the crystallinity and catalytic behavior of the resulting nanoparticles (NPs). FeCl₃ reacted with DTBA to produce crystalline rod-shaped MOFs, while CBAB led to amorphous spherical nanoparticles. Increasing the DTBA content enhanced catalytic performance by modulating the iron catalytic environment, significantly promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and glutathione (GSH) depletion. Cellular experiments confirmed that DTBA-rich MOFs exhibited potent anticancer activity via an amplified chemodynamic therapy (CDT) effect. This study provides a promising strategy for designing next-generation nanomaterials with precisely tailored structures and functionalities.