A carboxylate gadolinium-based metal–organic framework
(Gd-MOF)
is an exceptional candidate for magnetic resonance imaging agents,
but its low drug adsorption capacity hinders this MOF from being used
as a theragnostic agent. In this work, the Gd-MOF was synthesized
by a simple solvothermal method. Then, different activation situations,
including various solvents over different time periods, were applied
to enhance the specific surface area of the synthesized MOF. Different
characterization analyses such as X-ray diffraction and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller
along with experimental quercetin adsorption tests were done to study
the crystalline and physical properties of various activated MOFs.
In the following, the MOF activated by ethanol for 3 days (3d-E) was
chosen as the best activated MOF due to its crystallinity, highest
specific surface area, and drug adsorption capacity. More explorations
were done for the selected MOF, including the drug adsorption isotherm,
thermodynamics, and pH effect of adsorption. The results show that
the activation process substantially affects the crystallinity, morphology,
specific surface area, and drug adsorption capacity of Gd-MOFs. An
optimized activation condition is proposed in this work, which shows
an impressive enhancement of the specific surface area of Gd-MOFs
just by simple solvent exchange method employment.