Coordination-responsive drug release inside gold nanorod@metal-organic framework core–shell nanostructures for near-infrared-induced synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy

Multifunctional core–shell nanostructures formed by integration of distinct components have received wide attention as promising biological platforms in recent years. In this work, crystalline zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), a typical metal-organic framework (MOF), is coated onto single gold nanorod(AuNR) core for successful realization of synergistic photothermal and chemotherapy triggered by near-infrared (NIR) light. Impressively, high doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) loading capacity followed by pH and NIR light dual stimuli-responsive DOX release can be easily implemented through formation and breakage of coordination bonds in the system. Moreover, under NIR laser irradiation at 808 nm, these novel AuNR@MOF core–shell nanostructures exhibit effective synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy both in vitro and in vivo, confirmed by cell treatment and tumor ablation via intravenous injection.