Nontoxic and renewable metal–organic framework based on α-cyclodextrin with efficient drug delivery

A novel α-cyclodextrin based metal–organic framework (CD-MOF) with chiral helices, K3(C36H60O30)2·7H2O (1), was synthesized by vapor diffusion method, which contains infinitely long left-handed helical chains, interdigitated with six circumambient helical chains. Compound 1 exhibits efficient drug loading capacity and excellent sustained release behavior. In addition, by changing the synthetic method, another compound based on α-cyclodextrin, (C36H60O30)·H2O (2), was isolated by solvothermal synthesis, which contains left-handed chiral helical double channels, linked with adjacent four same helical channels. Moreover, the lower cytotoxicity of the two compounds indicates that they are a type of renewable, environmentally friendly and biocompatible drug carrier material.