Covalent Organic Frameworks with Nanopores for Biological Applications: A Review

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a class of functional nanoporous materials, not only hold the fundamental characteristics of reticular chemistry but also have advantages of robust covalent connectivity and chromophoric networks with extended π-conjugation. Therefore, the integration of biologically relevant building blocks to form biocompatible COFs through tailor-made design principles will make them highly suitable for biomedical research. Herein, we briefly describe the most important biological applications of nanoscale COFs, such as drug delivery, bioimaging, phototherapy, and antibacterial properties. Finally, the existing challenges and prospects of COF-based nanomaterials for advanced biomedical applications have been discussed.