Zn(II) Metal-Organic Framework as an Efficient Platform for Oxytocin Monitoring and Photodegradation

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Pharmaceutical contaminants, including peptide hormones like oxytocin (OXN) and antibiotics, pose significant environmental and health risks.
• Oxytocin's clinical importance and endocrine-disrupting potential necessitate effective detection and removal methods from aquatic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a multifunctional zinc-based metal-organic framework (Zinc-MOF).
• To enable selective fluorescence-based detection of oxytocin (OXN).
• To achieve visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants, including oxytocin and antibiotics.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a Zinc-MOF using zinc perchlorate hexahydrate and tris(2-carboxyethyl) isocyanurate (H3TCi) as an organic linker.
• Evaluation of the Zinc-MOF's fluorescence quenching sensitivity and anti-interference capabilities for oxytocin detection.
• Assessment of the Zinc-MOF's photocatalytic degradation efficiency against oxytocin and a panel of eight common antibiotics under visible light irradiation.

Main Results:

• The synthesized Zinc-MOF demonstrated high sensitivity and anti-interference capability in selectively detecting oxytocin.
• The material exhibited superior photocatalytic degradation efficiency for oxytocin compared to eight common antibiotics.
• The framework's performance was validated in the presence of complex mixtures, mimicking real-world wastewater conditions.

Conclusions:

• The developed Zinc-MOF serves as a versatile, dual-function material for simultaneous environmental remediation and biosensing.
• This MOF platform shows significant promise for the integrated detection and degradation of trace-level pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments.
• The study highlights the potential of engineered MOFs in addressing complex environmental pollution challenges.