A dual-template imprinted polymer based on amino-functionalized zirconium-based metal–organic framework for delivery of doxorubicin and phycocyanin with synergistic anticancer effect

[Display omitted] •Dual-template imprinted polymer was synthesized using DES as a functional monomer.•UIO-66@DMIPs was prepared with UIO-66-NH2 as framework materials.•The drug release of UIO-66@DMIPs was dependent upon the pH of the release medium.•The synergistic anticancer activities of UIO-66@DMIPs were evaluated. In this study, a dual-template molecularly imprinted polymer (UIO-66@DMIPs) was synthesized using deep-eutectic solvents (DES) as functional monomer and doxorubicin (DOX) and phycocyanin (PC) as template molecules for the first time. The PC and DOX drugs were combined to obtain the synergistic effect by molecular imprinting technique (MIT). The novel deep-eutectic solvents (DES) as functional monomer can bind to the template molecules by electrostatic and hydrogen bonding forces to facilitate the formation of imprinted sites and increase the hydrophilicity of UIO-66@DMIPs, which improved the drugs release of UIO-66@DMIPs in aqueous media. The introduction of UIO-66-NH2 in UIO-66@DMIPs reduced the encapsulation of the imprinted sites and resulted in better performance of the prepared UIO-66@DMIPs. The drugs-loaded UIO-66@DMIPs showed the maximum release of DOX and PC when the pH of the release medium was 5.0, with a release time of 20 h. UIO-66@DMIPs showed superior drugs loading and responsive drugs release for synergistic therapy during drugs delivery. As a drugs delivery system for compounded formulations, this study provides a reliable scheme with potential applications.