Exploiting redox activity of MIL-100(Fe) carrier enables carvacrol prolonged antimicrobial activity

Abstract

The design of efficient food contact materials that maintain optimal levels of food safety is of paramount relevance to reduce the increasing foodborne illnesses. In this work, we develop a smart composite MOF-based material that fosters a unique prolonged antibacterial activity. The composite is obtained by entrapping a natural preserving food molecule, carvacrol, into the mesoporous MIL-100(Fe) material following a direct and biocompatible impregnation method and obtaining particularly high payloads. By exploiting the intrinsic redox nature of MIL-100(Fe) material it is possible to achieve a prolonged activity against E. coli bacteria due to a triggered two-step carvacrol release of films containing the carvacrol@MOF composite. Essentially, it was discovered that based on the underlying chemical interaction among MIL-100(Fe) and carvacrol, it is possible to undergo a reversible charge transfer process between the metallic MOF counterpart and the carvacrol upon certain physical stimuli. During this process, the preferred carvacrol binding site has been monitored by IR, Mössbauer and EPR spectroscopies and is supported by theoretical calculations.

Boosting Protein Encapsulation through Lewis-Acid-Mediated Metal–Organic Framework Mineralization: Toward Effective Intracellular Delivery

“…3 Characterized by a hybrid nature, MOFs result in unique crystalline structures that offer great performances not only in gas storage/separation 4 but also in biotechnological 5 and health-related fields 6,7 due to their high cargo loading, biodegradability, and processability. 8 Most of these uses consider MOFs as small-molecule carriers; however, the encapsulation, transport, and release of biological macromolecules have gained an exceptional popularity in the last decade. 9 For the specific immobilization of bioentities with MOFs, a number of strategies have been explored including surface adsorption 10 or conjugation, 11 pore encapsulation, 12−14 and in situ synthesis.…”

Hybrid nanostructures based on gold nanoparticles and functional coordination polymers: Chemistry, physics and applications in biomedicine, catalysis and magnetism

“…In this line, a hybrid approach in which a functional nanostructure is mixed with the MOF can be a valuable way to improve the properties of the MOF. For example, the encapsulation of active guest compounds inside MOFs is very promising to reach properties beyond those of the bare MOFs and/or guest species [83]. With this aim, a wide range of functional inorganic materials, including metallic NPs [84], coordination complexes [85], quantum dots [86], polyoxometalates [87] and even other MOFs [88], have been combined with MOFs to enhance their properties.…”