A zirconium metal-organic framework with SOC topological net for catalytic peptide bond hydrolysis

The discovery of nanozymes for selective fragmentation of proteins would boost the emerging areas of modern proteomics, however, the development of efficient and reusable artificial catalysts for peptide bond hydrolysis is challenging. Here we report the catalytic properties of a zirconium metal-organic framework, MIP-201, in promoting peptide bond hydrolysis in a simple dipeptide, as well as in horse-heart myoglobin (Mb) protein that consists of 153 amino acids. We demonstrate that MIP-201 features excellent catalytic activity and selectivity, good tolerance toward reaction conditions covering a wide range of pH values, and importantly, exceptional recycling ability associated with easy regeneration process. Taking into account the catalytic performance of MIP-201 and its other advantages such as 6-connected Zr₆ cluster active sites, the green, scalable and cost-effective synthesis, and good chemical and architectural stability, our findings suggest that MIP-201 may be a promising and practical alternative to commercially available catalysts for peptide bond hydrolysis.