Recent advances in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for wound healing and antimicrobial applications

Abstract

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystal-like organic structures such as cartography buildings prepared from appropriately pre-designed construction block precursors. Moreover, after the expansion of the first COF in 2005, numerous researchers have been developing different materials for versatile applications such as sensing/imaging, cancer theranostics, drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound healing, and antimicrobials. COFs have harmonious pore size, enduring porosity, thermal stability, and low density. In addition, a wide variety of functional groups could be implanted during their construction to provide desired constituents, including antibodies and enzymes. The reticular organic frameworks comprising porous hybrid materials connected via a covalent bond have been studied for improving wound healing and dressing applications due to their long-standing antibacterial properties. Several COF-based systems have been planned for controlled drug delivery with wound healing purposes, targeting drugs to efficiently inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms at the wound spot. In addition, COFs can be deployed for combinational therapy using photodynamic and photothermal antibacterial therapy along with drug delivery for healing chronic wounds and bacterial infections. Herein, the most recent advancements pertaining to the applications of COF-based systems against bacterial infections and for wound healing are considered, concentrating on challenges and future guidelines.

Fig. 1. COFs with wound healing/dressing and antibacterial effects: advantages and challenges.

Fig. 2. Document types among 3914 documents from 1991 to 2022 (Scopus).

Fig. 3. Documents by subject area among 3914 documents from 1991 to 2022 (Scopus).

Fig. 4. Publication trends in the “COF” research area between 2015 to the end of 2021 (Scopus).

Fig. 5. Network visualization for keyword search results on COFs (Scopus).

Fig. 6. The generation of antimicrobial CUR@COF/PCL NFMs. Redrawn with permission from ref. .

Fig. 7. Drug-release process by CUR@COF/PCL NFMs. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 8. The preparation of multifunctional antimicrobial IBU@DhaTph-membrane. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 9. The preparation of NMC_Tp–TTA hybrid nanozyme. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 10. The preparation of ENR-FM-COF-TPU. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 11. The preparation of TP-Por-CON. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 12. The TP-Por-CON@BNN6-integrated heterojunction exhibited synergistic photothermal/photodynamic and gaseous therapeutic effects (the related mechanisms), destroying the bacterial cells through ROS formation, temperature elevation, and NO release. Reproduced with permission from ref. Copyright 2021 American Chemical Society.

Fig. 13. The preparation of GOX-on-Fe-iCOF (GFeF) nanozyme. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 14. The mechanism of GOX-on-Fe-iCOF (GFeF) nanozyme. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 15. The preparative process of guanidine-containing CONs. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 16. The preparative process of the TAPP–BDP. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 17. Mechanism of TAPP–BDP. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fig. 18. The preparative process of COF-TDETA. Reproduced with permission from ref. .

Fatemeh Mohajer

Ghodsi Mohammadi Ziarani

Alireza Badiei

Siavash Iravani

Rajender S. Varma