Metal-organic framework materials (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials formed by coordination bonds between metal ion centers and organic ligands, exhibiting superior properties such as high specific surface area, controllable pore size structure, and excellent biocompatibility. They provide an innovative technological approach to address critical challenges in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research, including low solubility, poor stability, and suboptimal bioavailability of active components. Aligned with the historical context of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry being awarded to MOFs, this article systematically reviews the application advancements of five major MOF types—zeolitic imidazolate frameworks, university of oslos, materials of institute lavoisiers, porous coordination networks and isoreticular metal-organic frameworks—in TCM research. The discussion emphasizes the application priorities of different framework materials from the perspective of “structure-activity relationship”. Furthermore, the study delves into practical issues such as excessive focus on individual components, insufficiently established in vivo biosafety profiles, and high costs associated with large-scale production. Finally, it explores pathways for integrating the material properties of MOFs with the TCM “jun-chen-zuo-shi” (sovereign-minister-assistant-guide) compatibility theory, proposing a novel paradigm for biomimetic intelligent delivery systems to facilitate the modernization, internationalization, and clinical commercialization of TCM.

metal-organic framework materials  /  modernization of Chinese medicine  /  structure-activity relationship  /  intelligent delivery system  /  compound compatibility