Boosted sustained-release with iron-based MOF-derived mesoporous-carbon-spheres as a nitroimidazole drugs carrier

Metal-organic framework (MOF) with a buildable internal structure has aroused great interest focus as self-sacrificing precursors of porous carbon (PC). However, as a drug carrier, the MOF-derived PC developed thus far are generally composed of irregular powder shape due to their crystalline nature, which consequently causing the cerebral infarction, cerebral thrombosis, and other blood diseases. In this article, we propose a novel approach to constructing amorphous carbon microspheres (ACMs) by distorting the topological network through hydrothermal treatment precursors of MIL-101(Fe). Then, a distinctive MIL-101(Fe)-derived spherical porous carbons (MSPC) is achieved through high temperature calcination toward ACMs. Effects of the glucose initial concentration and hydrothermal treatment time on the sphericity of the as-prepared mesoporous MSPC were investigated in depth. And the loading capacities and sustained-release performances of nitroimidazole drugs over MSPC through simulation internal environment of human body at different pH values was systematically evaluated. The nitroimidazole drugs loading rate and release time of MSPC are 10% and 17 h under preferred process. Furthermore, the MSPC exhibited very low toxicity on Hela cells and 293T cells at the concentrations tested (10–800 μg mL−1). This study, therefore, supports the potential of the mesoporous carbon spheres as a carrier for nitroimidazole drug delivery.