Electrodeposition of MIL-88B(Fe) on medical-grade stainless-steel surfaces

The innovation of selective metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has become increasingly viable with regards to drug delivery and applications for drug eluting stents (DESs) after angioplasty surgery in prevention of late stent thrombosis due to their low toxicity and chemical versatility. Herein, we explored rapid synthesis of an iron-containing MOF, MIL-88B(Fe), via an electrodeposition (EPD) approach. We utilized a voltaic cell for the EPD of Fe trimers with dicarboxylate ligands onto medical grade stainless steel mesh, a common material for DES’s. MIL-88B is an ideal MOF candidate for potential stent coatings due to its high biocompatibility and excellent drug-adsorption capabilities. We studied the effect of precursor, salt concentration, EPD current on MIL-88B(Fe) crystalline formation at the stainless-steel cathode. We confirmed the crystal structure of the formed MIL-88B(Fe) on the stainless-steel surface using powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Additionally, surface morphology and the thin film uniformity across stainless steel surfaces was monitored with the aid of a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ultimately, this project aims to develop methods for a rapid commercial synthesis of surface supportive MIL-88B(Fe) using EPD to generate a thin film across stainless steel surfaces, functioning as a novel drug-delivery system, diverging from commonplace polymer-based DES coatings.