A high-copper-content metal-organic framework with potential antibacterial activities

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemistry

Background:

• Copper-based metal-organic frameworks (Cu MOFs) show promise for antibacterial applications.
• Synthesizing Cu MOFs with high copper content remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel strategy for synthesizing high-copper-content MOFs.
• To investigate the structure-activity relationship of Cu MOFs for antibacterial applications.

Main Methods:

• A multi-coordination strategy using a direct solvothermal reaction of copper ions and formic acid.
• Single crystal X-ray diffraction for precise structural determination.
• Evaluation of antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli.

Main Results:

• A novel three-dimensional MOF (Cu-FA) with 32% copper content was successfully synthesized.
• The structure revealed two types of Cu⋯O coordination bonds, enabling a multistage copper release.
• Cu-FA demonstrated a 99.76% inactivation rate against Escherichia coli.

Conclusions:

• A viable strategy for synthesizing high-copper-content MOFs was established.
• The study deepens the understanding of multilayer structures in MOFs.
• This work offers new insights into the antibacterial applications of MOFs.