On-Demand Degradation of Metal–Organic Framework Based on Photocleavable Dianthracene-Based Ligand

We have designed
a rigid photocleavable dianthracene-based ligand that reacts with
ytterbium as coordination metal ion for the creation of a class of
tridimensional light-degradable metal–organic framework (MOF).
We demonstrated that we can obtain a high level of control on the
disassembly of the MOF formed with this ligand which can be triggered
either through light irradiation or temperature increase. The reversible
4π-4π photodimerization is the intrinsic chemical mechanism
ruling the ligand and MOF cleavage. In the fields of biology and medicine,
MOFs have sparked a strong interest as highly porous vehicles for
drug release but have only been explored so far through the passive
leakage of their payloads. The designed light-degradable MOFs can
potentially overcome this limitation and serve as prototypes for drug
delivery and corresponding therapeutic applications.