Expanding the ZIFs Repertoire for Biological Applications with the Targeted Synthesis of ZIF-20 Nanoparticles.

Owing to their facile synthesis, tailorable porosity, diverse compositions, and low toxicity, zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as attractive platforms for a variety of biologically relevant applications. To date, a small subset of ZIFs representing only two topologies and very few linker chemistries have been studied in this realm. We seek to expand the bio-design space for ZIF NPs through the targeted synthesis of a hierarchically complex ZIF based on two types of cages, ZIF-20, with topology.