Preface

Chapter 7 **Bio-Inspired Metal-Organic Frameworks in the Pharmaceutical**

**World: A Brief Review 137** Vânia André and Sílvia Quaresma

**VI** Contents

Over the past few decades, Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have witnessed extensive in‐ terest in their preparation, characterization, and applications. MOFs are synthesized from metal ions or clusters coordinated by organic linkers or bridging-ligands, with permanent porosity. Based on the type of inorganic metal unit or cluster and organic linker or bridging ligand, the properties and applications of MOFs can be readily tuned. MOFs comprising bio‐ molecules are environmentally and biologically compatible as well, which makes them ame‐ nable for versatile applications such as storage and separation, catalysis, sensors, gas adsorption, drug delivery, and other therapeutic applications. The emerging and interesting field of MOF encouraged us to bring forth the book titled "Metal Organic Frameworks".

The book briefly introduces the reader to the world of MOFs and also highlights some im‐ portant applications of MOFs with characterization techniques. The book is divided into three sections. Section 1 consists of introduction, with an introductory chapter briefly discus‐ sing about MOFs and examples of metal containing units and bridging ligands. The chapter also discusses biomolecules based MOFs, acquainting the reader to the significant research‐ es and recent advancements on the same. Section 2 is dedicated to the synthesis and charac‐ terization techniques with chapters on spectral techniques. Section 3 comprises applications of MOFs describing applications such as radioactive nuclides capture, storage, separation, gas evolution, and adsorption, pharmaceutical applications of MOFs.

This book shouldbe useful for scientists and researchers or students interested in the field of MOFs. The book "Metal Organic Frameworks: finally sees the light of the day due to mutual understanding, cooperation, and tremendous efforts of the authors, contributors, and the technical staff of InTech Open Access Publisher. Ms. Andrea Koric and Ms. Ana Pantar, Publishing Process Managers, deserve special thanks for their noteworthy efforts and cor‐ dial coordination with editors and contributors. The funding agency University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India, is also being acknowledged for D. S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship to the Editor Dr. Fahmina Zafar. It is a great pleasure to thank all who endea‐ vored to bring forward this book. Lastly, as editors working with Intech Open Access Pub‐ lishers this for us was altogether a valuable learning experience. We feel honored to be a part of the InTech team.

#### **Dr. Fahmina Zafar Ph.D.**

Inorganic Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

**Dr. Eram Sharmin** Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Saudi Arabia

**Section 1**
