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CO2 chemical fixation offers a feasible approach for carbon mitigation and high‐value utilization, but it is still challenging to develop an efficient catalyst for CO2 conversion into cyclic carbonate. Herein, the triethylenediamine‐derived dicationic ionic liquids (DIL‐X, X = Cl, Br, and I) were grafted into UiO‐66 linkers through self‐assembly of Zr4+ ions and the mixed ligands of terephthalic acid and DIL‐bearing dicarboxylic acid, resulting in UiO‐66‐DIL‐Xn, (n designated as molar amount of the feeding DIL‐X). Their catalytic performance was evaluated by the epoxide cycloaddition reaction in the absence of solvent and cocatalyst. Among them, the UiO‐66‐DIL‐Cl0.4 catalyst exhibited outstanding performance, with a chloropropene carbonate yield of 92% and a high selectivity of 99% under 0.1 MPa CO2 at 110 °C for 16 h. Its high activity could be ascribed to the cooperativity among Lewis acidity of MOF nodes, the enhanced CO2 absorption, and the strong nucleophilicity offered by halogen ions of ionic liquid‐modified MOF. Moreover, UiO‐66‐DIL‐Cl0.4 presented excellent recyclability and substrate extension. A potential catalytic mechanism for the epoxide‐CO2 cycloaddition into cyclic carbonate has been proposed. This work will shed light on the rational design of functionalized MOFs‐based catalysts for CO₂ utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A large number of publications have been devoted to the study of aerosol atmospheric transport, but the low-temperature transfer of metals and metalloids as a part of gas flow remains poorly understood. The present work is devoted to the study of gas stream composition using an approach based on the collection of nascent condensate upon cooling of the air flow formed over the surface of contaminated sites. A special laboratory unit was designed to collect the condensate followed by the study of its composition using atomic emission and mass spectrometry. The main novelty of this work consists of the application of the single-particle ICP‒MS technique to obtain qualitative information concerning the state of the elements in the condensates. Gold and silver are most likely present in the samples as nanoparticles; arsenic, selenium, tin and lead are present both as nanoparticles and as soluble forms; and barium and mercury are present only in soluble forms. The condensed phase contains As, Hg, Au, Ag, Pb and Sn at the ppb level, while the main elements of the tailings material (Fe, Ba, Cu, Zn and others) are present at the ppm level, which exceeds the background concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the synthesis and characterization of the fluorescent metal–organic framework (MOF)‐polymer composites is reported based on zirconium‐based MOFs (UiO‐66 and UiO‐66(OH)₂) and a conjugated polyelectrolyte, poly(phenylene ethynylene) carboxylate (PPE‐CO₂‐108). The defect‐rich nature of these Zr‐MOFs facilitates strong interactions between the polyelectrolyte's carboxylic acid moieties and the open metal sites on the Zr clusters within the MOF nanoparticles. The composites are prepared by a simple impregnation approach, where MOF nanocrystals suspended in HEPES buffer are added to the polymeric solution under sonication for 10 min. The obtained MOF composites (i.e., UiO‐66‐CPE and UiO‐66 (OH)2‐CPE) are characterized using powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area, zeta potential measurements, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The characterization confirmed the homogeneous distribution of the MOF nanocrystals on the polymer as seen in the SEM images, and the interaction with PPE‐CO₂‐108 is confirmed by the decrease in the surface areas from 1050 to 590 m2 g−1 for UiO‐66‐CPE and from 500 to 137 m2 g−1, for UiO‐66(OH)2‐CPE. Fluorescence microscopy revealed strong fluorescence in the microparticles, confirming robust polymer‐MOF interaction. The composites also exhibit improved photostability of the conjugated polyelectrolyte, suggesting their potential for applications in biomedical imaging and other areas requiring stable and bright fluorescent systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and quick fiber‐in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction (FIT‐SPME) was introduced for the extraction and determination of nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons followed by a high‐performance liquid chromatography‐ultraviolet detector in refinery water samples. For this purpose, a water‐resistant metal‐organic framework with a high surface area called UiO‐66 has been applied in the form of an electrospun coating on stainless steel wires. After that, all the fibers were packed in the lumen of a stainless‐steel tube to make the extraction phase. Both one variable at a time and experimental design methods have been used to optimize effective parameters on FIT‐SPME. Under optimum conditions, the method demonstrated good linearity between 0.5 and 1000.0 µg/L with a coefficient of determination greater than 0.9906. Furthermore, the limits of detection values ranged from 0.2 to 1.5 µg/L. The intra‐day and inter‐day relative standard deviations were < 8.4% and < 9.7%, respectively. Lastly, the proposed method was applied to extract and determine analytes in four refinery water samples as well as surface water containing high total dissolved solids, and well waters where satisfactory results have been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optimised synthesis of the metal‐organic framework (MOF) UiO‐66(Ce) is reported using a modulator‐free route, yielding ~5 g of material with high crystallinity and 22 % ligand defect. Two methods are developed for loading gold nanoparticles onto the MOF. The first uses a double‐solvent method to introduce HAuCl4 onto UiO‐66(Ce), followed by reduction under 5 % H2 in N2, while the second is a novel one‐pot method where HAuCl4 is added to the synthesis mixture, forming Au nanoparticles within the pores of the UiO‐66(Ce) during crystallisation. Analysis using powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), nitrogen adsorption isotherms, transmission electron microscopy and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) reveals that the two‐step double‐solvent method yields gold crystallites on the external surface of the MOF particles that are visible by PXRD. In contrast, the one‐pot method forms smaller gold crystallites, with a distribution of sizes centred on ~4 nm diameter as seen by SAXS, with evidence from PXRD for the smallest particles being present within the MOF structure. The Au‐loaded UiO‐66(Ce) materials are evaluated for the catalytic oxidation of vanillyl alcohol to vanillin at 60 °C. Our findings indicate that incorporating Au nanoparticles via the one‐pot synthesis method, enhances redox activity, achieving 43 % conversion and 90 % selectivity towards vanillin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensive study of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has resulted in numerous highly selective catalysts, however, most of these still exhibit uncontrollable selectivity. Here, it is reported for the first time the controllable CH4/C2H4 selectivity by modulating the electronic states of Cu incorporated in metal‐organic frameworks with different functional ligands, achieving a Faradaic efficiency of 58% for CH4 on Cu‐incorporated UiO‐66‐H (Ce) composite catalysts, Cu/UiO‐66‐H (Ce) and that of 44% for C2H4 on Cu/UiO‐66‐F (Ce). In situ measurements of Raman and X‐ray absorption spectra revealed that the electron‐withdrawing ability of the ligand side group controls the product selectivity on MOFs through the modulation of the electronic states of Cu. This work opens new prospects for the development of MOFs as a platform for the tailored tuning of selectivity in CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, UiO‐66 was employed for the first time as an adsorbent to separate phenolic acid analogues, specifically 4‐hydroxyisophthalic acid and salicylic acid, from impurities. Synthesized in‐house, UiO‐66 was shown to exhibit high selectivity towards 4‐HIPA/4‐HBA and SA/4‐HBA when a molar equivalent of acetic acid modulator to terephthalic acid was set at 44. The adsorption capacities for 4‐HBA, 4‐HIPA, and SA were determined to be 56.34, 55.02, and 60.34 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that after six regeneration cycles, the adsorption capacity for 4‐HBA remained nearly unchanged, whereas those for 4‐HIPA and SA decreased by 5.6% and 2.6%, respectively. FTIR and XPS analyses revealed that all three compounds were adsorbed at the same dominant Zr cluster site on UiO‐66, primarily through hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction. Dynamic adsorption experiments revealed that 4‐HBA was the first to elute, maintaining the residual contents of 4‐HIPA and SA below 0.1 wt%. Compared to traditional separation techniques, this paper provided a simple and effective method to purify industrial grade 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to its extraordinary electrochemical properties, the CIS@UiO-66 nanocomposite has proved to be one of the most potential materials for modifying electrode surfaces toward 4-NP detection. Herein, CIS nanomaterials are effectively combined onto UiO-66 material, aiming to achieve a unique heterostructure. In this configuration, CIS plays a role as an active material, while UiO-66 acts as an efficient framework with high specific surface area and pore volume, good chemical stability, and large electrical conductivity to uniformly decorate CIS. As expected, with such synergism of CIS and UiO-66, the electrochemical characteristics and detection performance of 4-NP are enhanced remarkably. Namely, electrochemical measurements exhibit kinetic parameters involving oxidation-reduction reactions of both the standard probe and targeted molecules (4-NP). The sensitivity, linear concentration range, LOD value, and selectivity toward the detection of the 4-NP at CIS@UiO-66/SPE are the highest compared to CIS/SPE and UiO-66/SPE, demonstrating the high applicability potential of this proposed electrode in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UiO-66 specimens having different acetic acid/ZrCl4 molar ratios were prepared and pyrolyzed to ZrO2 as supports for Pt and Ni, intended to catalyze the decarboxylation of oleic acid. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyses, NH3 temperature-programmed desorption and pyridine adsorption infrared spectroscopy showed that the material made using an acetic acid/ZrCl4 molar ratio of 100 (ZrO2-100) had the largest specific surface area, acid amount and acid strength values. The yield of C8-C17 alkanes obtained from Ni/ZrO2-100 exceeded that provided by Pt/ZrO2-100 because the latter possessed more acidic sites than the former, which excessively cracked long-chain hydrocarbons. The 1 wt% Ni/ZrO2-100 catalyst showed the best catalytic performance, with 96.4% conversion of oleic acid and an 80.6% yield of C8-C17 alkanes after 4 h at 340 °C under a CO2 atmosphere at a pressure of 18 bar. The conversion of oleic acid remained almost unchanged after 4 reuses of this catalyst whereas the yield of C8-C17 alkanes decreased to 66.7%. This result is attributed to a loss of acidic sites and an increase in carbon build-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) modified hollow fiber (HF) membranes have been synthesized by dry‐jet wet phase inversion technique for desalination via direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). UiO‐66 metal‐Organic framework (MOF) and surface‐modified UiO‐66 with h‐BN nanomaterial have been incorporated with PVDF‐HF membrane. The various analytical methods like FE‐SEM, FTIR, PXRD, TGA, tensile strength, were used to characterize prepared MOF and HF membranes. It was observed from DCMD results that the h‐BN@UiO‐66/PVDF (M3) HF membrane gives higher flux than UiO‐66/PVDF (M2) and pure PVDF (M1) membrane. In the present investigation, response surface methodology (RSM) by box‐behnken design (BBD) was used to optimize the DCMD system and evaluate the behavior of operating parameters such as feed temperature, feed concentration, and feed flow rate. The optimum operating values of feed temperature, feed flow rate, and feed concentration were found as 65 °C, 1 LPM, and 1.5 wt.%, respectively. Under optimum conditions, the M3 HF membrane gives the highest flux of 26.78 L/m2 ⋅ h compared to M2 and M1 membranes. During DCMD, salt rejection is almost greater than 99.8 % for all prepared membranes. Other salts like potassium chloride (KCl), Magnisium Sulphate (MgSO4), and calcium sulphate (CaSO4) are also used to check salt rejection of all membranes at optimum operating conditions. Moreover, the M3 membrane exhibits stable permeate flux and high salt rejection (>99.9 %) at optimized process parameters over 80 h running. Overall, the present study provides the positive effects of h‐BN nanoparticles and UiO‐66 MOF on HF membrane to improve performance in DCMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive radiative cooling represents a transformative approach to achieving sustainable cooling on Earth without relying on energy consumption. In this research, the optical characteristics of five readily accessible metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs): ZIF‐67(Co), MOF‐74(Ni), HKUST‐1(Cu), MOF‐801(Zr), and UiO‐66(Zr) are meticulously explored. The objective is to identify the pivotal factors that influence their ability to facilitate radiative cooling. Through an in‐depth analysis encompassing spectroscopic features, surface texture, and porosity, it is found that the MOFs' cooling efficacy is largely influenced by their optical bandgaps and functional groups, although other factors like chemical composition and structural characteristics remain to be considered. Notably, UiO‐66(Zr) emerged as the standout performer, boasting an impressive solar reflectance of 91% and a mid‐infrared emissivity of 96.8%. Remarkably, a fabric treated with UiO‐66(Zr) achieved a substantial sub‐ambient cooling effect, lowering temperatures by up to 5 °C and delivering a cooling power of 26 W m−2 at 300 K. The findings underscore the vast potential of MOFs in offering new opportunities to advance passive radiative cooling technologies, paving the way for their extensive application in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic framework (MOF) nanofillers have attracted significant attention recently for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) applications because of their excellent effectiveness for enhancing the performance of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) based on phosphoric acid–doped polybenzimidazole (PBI). Universitetet i Oslo-66 (UiO-66) is one of the most used zirconium-based MOFs. In this study, we synthesized amine-functionalized UiO-66, imidazole-functionalized UiO-66, and sulfonated UiO-66 as nanofillers for adjusting the interfacial compatibility of PBI-based nanocomposite membranes. The results demonstrated that incorporating functionalized UiO-66 nanocrystals simultaneously improved tensile strength, oxidative stability, and proton conductivity of the membranes. Moreover, the imidazole-functionalized UiO-66 nanofiller exhibited optimal interfacial compatibility with polybenzimidazole and more significantly improved membrane properties than the other nanofillers. The PEM containing 10 wt% imidazole-functionalized UiO-66 achieved a 113% increase in proton conductivity at 170°C (0.0418 S/cm) and a 249% increase in the maximum power density of the fuel cell (406.1 mW/cm2). [Display omitted] • Functionalization of zirconium-based metal-organic framework nanofillers. • Imidazole-functionalized nanofillers obtained better interfacial compatibility. • Imidazole-functionalized nanofillers enhanced membrane properties most. • A 113% increase in the proton conductivity of the proton exchange membrane. • A 249% increase in the maximum power density of fuel cell was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports for the first time the use of MOF-808 for the adsorption of glyphosate from a diluted herbicide formulation (Roundup®). MOF-808 was synthesized in organic solvent (MOF-808(DMF)) or in water (MOF-808(H2O)) to compare the influence of textural characteristics on the adsorption process. In addition, the adsorption performances of these materials were compared to those of the UiO-66 and UiO-66(NH2) series materials, which have the same SBU, allowing us to evaluate the influence of the topicity and functionalization of the ligand on the adsorption capacity of glyphosate. MOF-808 showed the highest adsorption capacity, reaching a qmax equal to 277.01 mg g−1, and good kinetic performance, removing 70.3% of the glyphosate from solution in 10 min and 99.5% after 3 h of contact. MOFs UiO-66 and UiO-66(NH2) had lower qmax values than MOF-808, possibly due to the blockage of their narrow pores by GLY, which prevents them from accessing Zr sites. The results showed an important relationship between the hydrodynamic diameter and the pore size distribution with access to active sites, consequently influencing the adsorption performance of these porous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated polymers exhibit significant potential for use in gas sensors owing to their flexibility and straightforward preparation. However, the performance of organic gas sensors based on such materials is currently suboptimal owing to their poor charge‐transport properties and limited selectivity. To address this limitation, a novel strategy that involves blending a chemically modified metal–organic framework (MOF) material, UiO‐66, with a conjugated polymer is developed. The MOF porous material is chemically modified with polar nitrogen‐containing functional groups (amino and nitro groups) to create gas molecule adsorption sites. To evaluate the impact of these modifications on the sensing performance, experiments that combined the sensing performance with a density functional theory simulation are conducted. The findings reveal that gas sensors fabricated using an amine‐functionalized MOF blended with conjugated polymers exhibit significantly higher sensitivity than home polymer devices, the sensing performance of the UiO‐66‐NH2/P3HT blend film improved by a factor of two with a sensitivity of ≈2%/ppm and an LOD of 0.001 ppt. Additionally, these devices exhibit exclusive NO2‐sensing performance for other gases such as CO2 and SO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to prepare composite materials with excellent photocatalytic property, a metal-organic framework material UiO-66 was successfully synthesized by solvothermal method. UiO-66/PVDF hybrid fiber membrane was successfully prepared by electrospinning technology. The experimental results showed that the surface of pure PVDF film fiber was smooth and the thickness of a single fiber was uniform. After doped with UiO-66 material, the fiber surface became rough. The hydrophilic property of PVDF modified fiber membranes doped with UiO-66 and the degradation ability of tetracycline hydrochloride were significantly improved. When the doping amount of UiO-66 was 1.0%, the degradation rate of tetracycline hydrochloride solution was the best and reached to 98.2%. For norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, the degradation capacity could be reached 95. 0%. The degradation rate after 5 cycle experiments under light conditions was only slightly lower than the first time. It is considered that UiO-66/PVDF modified hybrid fiber membrane has large application potential in water purification field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into value-added ligand materials for synthesizing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derived catalysts is an eco-friendly and economically viable process. The waste PET bottles were readily broken down into 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (BDC) ligands in a highly alkaline environment. Herein, we fabricated a Co@Cr(OH) 3 /ZrO 2 catalyst via the carbonization of PET-derived UiO-66 metal-organic frameworks for the catalytic dehydrogenation of formic acid at low temperatures. The as-prepared Co@Cr(OH) 3 /ZrO 2 catalyst provides a turnover frequency of 7685 h−1 for hydrogen generation (120 mL in 1.5 min) at ambient temperature. This is due to the uniform dispersion of the fine metal nanoparticle (NPs) (Co NPs, ∼3.75 nm) and the synergistic effect of the Co NPs and Cr(OH) 3 /ZrO 2 supports. In addition, the characterization results indicate that porous Zr-MOFs may effectively enclose tiny particles, which is favorable for enhanced dehydrogenation performance. In addition, the Co@Cr(OH) 3 /ZrO 2 catalysts demonstrated excellent stability against aggregation and were recyclable over seven cycles without any significant catalytic loss. Thus, this study provides a sustainable methodology for the development of MOF-derived, effective, and stable catalysts for formic acid dehydrogenation towards hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of different disciplines is the core of the application orientation of UIO-66 materials, and it has expanded the boundaries of the application field of UIO-66 materials by exploring infinite space in chemical composition and material properties. Significant advancements have been achieved in utilizing the distinct characteristics of UIO-66 materials, both in basic and practical terms. In this review, our aim is to examine the key achievements in utilizing UIO-66 materials, encompassing areas like gas separation, catalysis, quartz crystal microbalance sensor and energy storage, and offer an essential viewpoint on their progress in practical applications. Finally, we succinctly address the primary obstacles that must be tackled in these domains to lay the groundwork for industrial utilization. UIO-66 is a popular multifunctional material. We have provided a review of its applications in the gas separation, catalysis, QCM sensor, and energy storage fields recently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are a promising class of materials for catalysis, offering unique opportunities for designing efficient and selective catalysts. In this study, we have focused on the synthesis and catalytic activity of a novel mixed metal MOF, Ce/Zr−UiO‐66@LiOtBu, designed for the rapid hydrolysis of chemical warfare agents simulants: dimethyl 4‐nitrophenyl phosphate (DMNP) and 2‐chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES). This MOF was thoroughly characterized using powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), BET surface area, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES). The catalytic performance of Ce/Zr−UiO‐66@LiOtBu was monitored in the hydrolysis of DMNP and CEES by using 31P NMR and GC‐MS respectively. Remarkably, the MOF demonstrated rapid and efficient catalytic activity, breaking the P−O bond in DMNP with 2 min and the hydrolysis of CEES was observed in less than 45 min The results suggest the potential application of Ce/Zr−UiO‐66@LiOtBu as a robust catalyst in the detoxification of chemical warfare agent simulants. Our findings highlight the novelty of Ce/Zr−UiO‐66@LiOtBu as a catalytically active MOF, showcasing the successful integration of cerium ions and lithium tert‐butoxide to enhance basicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, synthesis and use of a novel adsorbent (composite in nature) are presented for treatment of one of the most commonly found pharmaceutical compound, viz, diclofenac sodium (DCF) in waste water. Synthesis of the composite adsorbent was done by hydrothermal method metal organic framework (MOF) based on Zr metal and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT). The composite adsorbent is termed as UiO-66/MWCNT. The confirmation of successful synthesis of the adsorbent is done with the help of sophisticated characterization techniques like FTIR, XRD, zeta potential analyser, and SEM. The synthesized composite adsorbent is found to have good adsorption capacity for DCF. The experiments related to the process of adsorption were done in batch mode and the significance of various operating parameters affecting the specific uptake of DCF. Maximum adsorption is observed at 3 pH (acidic condition) when the initial concentration of DCF and adsorbent dose was 30 mg/L and 100 mg/L, respectively. The Langmuir isotherm model best describes the process of adsorption with a maximum adsorption capacity of 256.41 mg/g. Experimental results obtained through the studies conducted related to the kinetics displayed that the process followed pseudo-second order model, and intraparticle studies suggested that diffusion through pores controls the rate. Thermodynamic studies suggest that the adsorption of DCF on UiO-66/MWCNT was completely spontaneous with ΔH = −22.089 kJ/mol. The possible mechanism for the adsorptive removal of DCF through UiO-66/MWCNT as found from this study is electrostatic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermally stable zirconium-based MOF, UiO-66, was employed for the preparation of bonded porous-layer open-tubular (PLOT) GC columns. The synthesis included the in situ growth of the UiO-66 film on the inner wall of the capillary through a one-step solvothermal procedure. SEM–EDX analysis revealed the formation of a thin, continuous, uniform, and compact layer of UiO-66 polycrystals on the functionalized inner wall of the column. The average polarity (ΔIav = 700) and the McReynolds constants reflected the polar nature of the UiO-66 stationary phase. Several mixtures of small organic compounds and real samples were used to evaluate the separation performance of the fabricated columns. Linear alkanes from n-pentane to n-decane were baseline separated within 1.35 min. Also, a series of six n-alkylbenzenes (C3–C8) were separated within 3 min with a minimum resolution of 3.09, whereas monohalobenzene mixtures were separated at 220 °C within 14s. UiO-66 PLOT columns are ideally suited for the isothermal separation of chlorobenzene structural isomers at 210 °C within 45 s with Rs ≥ 1.37. The prepared column featured outstanding thermal stability (up to 450 °C) without any observed bleeding or significant impact on its performance. This feature enabled the analysis of various petroleum-based samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual-emissive fluorescence probes were designed by integrating porphyrin into the frameworks of UiO-66 for ratiometric fluorescence sensing of amoxicillin (AMX). Porphyrin integrated UiO-66 showed dual emission in the blue and red region. AMX resulted in the quenching of blue fluorescence component, attributable to the charge neutralization and hydrogen bonds induced energy transfer. AMX was detected using (F438/F654) as output signals. Two linear relationships were observed (from 10 to 1000 nM and 1 to 100 µM), with a limit of detection of 27 nM. The porphyrin integrated UiO-66 probe was used to detect AMX in practical samples. This work widens the road for the development of dual/multiple emissive fluorescence sensors for analytical applications, providing materials and theoretical supporting for food, environmental, and human safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The intensive study of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has resulted in numerous highly selective catalysts, however, most of these still exhibit uncontrollable selectivity. Here, it is reported for the first time the controllable CH4/C2H4 selectivity by modulating the electronic states of Cu incorporated in metal‐organic frameworks with different functional ligands, achieving a Faradaic efficiency of 58% for CH4 on Cu‐incorporated UiO‐66‐H (Ce) composite catalysts, Cu/UiO‐66‐H (Ce) and that of 44% for C2H4 on Cu/UiO‐66‐F (Ce). In situ measurements of Raman and X‐ray absorption spectra revealed that the electron‐withdrawing ability of the ligand side group controls the product selectivity on MOFs through the modulation of the electronic states of Cu. This work opens new prospects for the development of MOFs as a platform for the tailored tuning of selectivity in CO2RR.

Abstract The use of drug delivery systems in targeting and achieving the targeting of drugs in treating diseases, especially cancer, has attracted the attention of researchers. Letrozole is one of the drugs for the treatment of breast cancer. In this study, the organic-metallic pharmaceutical porous nanostructure based on zirconium UiO-66 loaded letrozole was synthesized. Its cytotoxicity and effect on apoptosis and migration against breast cancer cell line were investigated. In this experimental study, the UiO-66 nanoparticle-loaded letrozole was synthesized using zirconium chloride (ZrCl4), dimethylformamide (DMF), and HCl. Its characteristics were determined by scanning electron microscopy, and its average size was determined by the DLS method. Also, the rate of letrozole drug release from the nanoparticle was investigated in 24, 48, and 72 h. In addition, its cytotoxicity effects were investigated using the MTT colorimetric method at concentrations of 3.125-100 µg/ml against the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) in the periods of 48 and 72 h. Also, the expression level of apoptotic genes Bax and Bcl2 was investigated by the Real-Time PCR method. Also, the amount of cell migration was done by the migration assay method. The results showed that UiO-66 bound to letrozole had a spherical morphology and an average size of 9.2 ± 160.1. Also, the letrozole drug was loaded by 62.21 ± 1.80% in UiO-66 nanoparticles and had a slower release pattern than free letrozole in the drug release test, so within 72 h, 99.99% of free letrozole was released in If in UiO-66 containing letrozole, 57.55% of the drug has been released. Also, the cytotoxicity results showed that UiO-66 bound to letrozole has more significant cytotoxic effects than free letrozole (p

In this study, mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated using a composite of UiO-66 and polyaniline (PANI) integrated into a polyether-block-amide (PEBAX) matrix. The successful synthesis of the UiO-66 and PANI@UiO-66 composites and their incorporation into the PEBAX matrix were validated through X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Quantitative permeation tests revealed that the CO2 permeability in UiO-66 based MMMs increased by 90 % at 30 % filler loading (from 82 to 156 Barrer), and by 45 % (from 82 to 119 Barrer) in PANI@UiO-66 based MMMs, alongside substantial improvements in selectivity. For UiO-66 membranes we observed a selectivity drop for both gas pairs (CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2) that led to our motivation to modify the MOF. The CO2/CH4 selectivity of the PANI@UiO-66 based MMMs enhanced from 22 to 29 (34%) and the CO2/N2 selectivity from 48 to 57 (18%). Mixed-gas permeation tests further confirmed the efficacy of the membranes in real-world separation scenarios. The diffusivity and solubility results provide insights into the gas transport mechanisms, revealing the synergistic effects of filler incorporation on membrane performance. The integration of UiO-66 and PANI with PEBAX offers a promising pathway for developing efficient and effective gas separation technologies, aligning with the industrial requirements for environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.

[Display omitted] • A novel type of PILs has been fabricated. • PILs integrate the permanent pores of porous solids with the exceptional properties of ILs. • PILs possess high activity and selectivity for the DBT oxidation. • IL moiety serves as an extractant to enrich DBT and creates an electrostatic solvent effect. • UiO-66 moiety serves as a catalysis to handily catalyze the ODS reaction. Developing a highly efficient strategy for the stabilization of the solid-liquid interface is a persistent pursuit for researchers. Herein, porous ionic liquids based on UiO-66 (Zr) porous materials were synthesized and applied to the selective desulfurization catalysis, which integrates the permanent pores of porous solids with the exceptional properties of ionic liquids. Results show that porous ionic liquids possess high activity and selectivity for dibenzothiophene. Experimental analysis and density functional theory calculations revealed that the ionic liquids moiety served as an extractant to enrich dibenzothiophene into the porous ionic liquids phase through the π···π and C H···π interactions. Additionally, the electrostatic solvent effect in the porous ionic liquids contributes to the stabilization solid-liquid interface, which was favorable for UiO-66 moiety to catalytically activate hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) to generate ·OH radicals, and subsequently oxidized dibenzothiophene to the corresponding sulfone. It is hoped that the development of porous ionic liquids could pave a new route to the stabilization of the solid-liquid interface for catalytic oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC) as a direct alkaline liquid fuel has some benefits over other gaseous fuel cells because of great theoretical voltage, power density, energy density, environmental friendliness, and fast answer. Also, sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is simply storable, chemically steady, and safe as it is non-flammable. In this work, UiO-66 metal–organic framework (MOF) has been prepared and defined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen sorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FESEM) techniques. The appearance of sharp peaks in the XRD pattern indicates that there is worthy crystallinity in the organized MOF and there are no impurities. The BET surface area was obtained to be 1253.1 m2 g−1. The modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) by this MOF and nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2-UiO-66/CPE) was applied as an effective and simple electrode for electro-oxidation of NaBH4 in the alkaline media. The anodic current of NaBH4 was amplified intensely at the Ni(OH)2-UiO-66/CPE contrary to the bare CPE surface. The influence of modifier amount (UiO-66) in the constructed CPE, the concentration of NaOH and nickel chloride, and the time for Ni(II) loading were considered for NaBH4 electrocatalytic oxidation via response surface methodology. The attained consequences identify that Ni(OH)2-UiO-66/CPE exhibits good electrocatalytic activity for NaBH4 oxidation due to microporous building and great surface area of synthesized UiO-66. The catalytic rate constant was attained to be 1.53 × 103 cm3 mol−1 s−1, and the diffusion coefficient was found to be 1.51 × 10−7 cm2 s−1. The fabricated Ni(OH)2-UiO-66/CPE displayed worthy reproducibility and stability, and it has a small cost and background current and ease of surface regeneration. The Ni(OH)2-UiO-66/CPE has enhanced poisoning tolerance ability than Ni(OH)2/CPE for electrocatalytic oxidation of NaBH4 and is a superior sensor for the extensive duration action. According to the obtained chronoamperograms in 3000 s, it can be confirmed that the Ni-UiO-66/CPE electrode has improved the toxicity tolerance compared to the unmodified CPE and is a superior nanosensor for long-term acquisition. Also, the Ni(OH)2-UiO-66/CPE maintained 91% and 77.9% of its preliminary answer after 14 and 90 days by CV technique, respectively, which proposes that it has good stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of drug delivery systems in targeting and achieving the targeting of drugs in treating diseases, especially cancer, has attracted the attention of researchers. Letrozole is one of the drugs for the treatment of breast cancer. In this study, the organic-metallic pharmaceutical porous nanostructure based on zirconium UiO-66 loaded letrozole was synthesized. Its cytotoxicity and effect on apoptosis and migration against breast cancer cell line were investigated. In this experimental study, the UiO-66 nanoparticle-loaded letrozole was synthesized using zirconium chloride (ZrCl4), dimethylformamide (DMF), and HCl. Its characteristics were determined by scanning electron microscopy, and its average size was determined by the DLS method. Also, the rate of letrozole drug release from the nanoparticle was investigated in 24, 48, and 72 h. In addition, its cytotoxicity effects were investigated using the MTT colorimetric method at concentrations of 3.125-100 µg/ml against the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) in the periods of 48 and 72 h. Also, the expression level of apoptotic genes Bax and Bcl2 was investigated by the Real-Time PCR method. Also, the amount of cell migration was done by the migration assay method. The results showed that UiO-66 bound to letrozole had a spherical morphology and an average size of 9.2 ± 160.1. Also, the letrozole drug was loaded by 62.21 ± 1.80% in UiO-66 nanoparticles and had a slower release pattern than free letrozole in the drug release test, so within 72 h, 99.99% of free letrozole was released in If in UiO-66 containing letrozole, 57.55% of the drug has been released. Also, the cytotoxicity results showed that UiO-66 bound to letrozole has more significant cytotoxic effects than free letrozole (p < 0.05). Also, the results of Bax and Bcl2 gene expression showed that the treatment of MCF-7 cells with UiO-66 nanoparticles attached to letrozole increased the expression of Bax and Bcl2 genes compared to the reference gene Beta-actin in MCF-7 cell line, respectively. (p < 0.05) increased by 3.71 ± 0.42 and (p < 0.01) decreased by 0.636 ± 0.034 (p < 0.05). Cell migration results showed that the concentration of 50 µg/ml of UiO-66 bound to letrozole decreased the migration of MCF-7 cells. Generally, the results of this study showed that UiO-66 loaded letrozole can be used as a suitable drug carrier for cellular purposes, as it has increased the effects of cytotoxicity and the rate of apoptosis in breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), so it can be used with more studies used nanocarriers as a drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane‐based separation has the merit of low carbon footprint. In this study, the pore size of metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes is rationally designed for discriminating various pairs of hydrocarbon isomers. Specifically, Zr‐MOF UiO‐66 (UiO stands for University of Oslo) membranes are developed for separating p/o‐xylene due to their proper pore size. For n‐hexane/2‐methylpentane separation, the functional groups and proportion of the ligands in UiO‐66 are gradually adjusted to effectively regulate the pore size, and UiO‐66‐33Br membranes are constructed. In addition, relying on the utilization of ligands with shorter length, MOF‐801 membranes with smaller pore size are fabricated for n/i‐butane separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need to address sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the burning of fossil fuels, which poses a serious hazard to the surrounding environment due to its emission. In this work, UiO-66-type metal–organic framework materials (MOFs) were prepared by hydrothermal method and applied to flue gas desulfurization. Through characterization analysis, it was found that UiO-66 sample had high crystallinity and good thermal stability. Besides, UiO-66 sample had a large specific surface area (1423 m2/g) and a large pore volume (0.69 cm3/g). In the desulfurization experiments of SO2/CO2/O2/N2 gas mixture (0.3/10.0/5.5/84.2 vol.%), UiO-66 had a breakthrough time of 137.6 min/g for SO2, the high selectivity of SO2/CO2 (36.0), and strong acid resistance. Besides, the adsorption thermodynamic analysis can confirm that the adsorption process of UiO-66 for SO2 was a combination of physical adsorption and chemical adsorption. At 1.0 bar and 298 K, the adsorption capacity of SO2 on UiO-66 reached 8.12 mmol/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the incorporation of highly accessible Lewis acid sites on fillers is crucial for achieving exceptional electrochemical performances in composite solid electrolytes (CSEs). Typically, they can provide a vital role in improving CSEs performance by interacting with lithium salt anions and the polymer matrix through Lewis acid–base interactions. To address this technological need, in this work, a novel filler of bimetallic UiO‐66(Zr/Ti)‐ionic liquid grafted composite (BUIL) is developed to enhance its inherent electrochemical properties. The bimetallic structure, which introduces structural defects, along with the grafted ionic liquid, abundantly creates accessible Lewis acid sites. This modification of the intrinsic Lewis acidity results in a remarkable enhancement of CSEs performances. The incorporation of BUIL in CSEs leads to a significant increase in ionic conductivity (0.458 mS cm−1) and lithium‐ion transference number (0.668) at 30 °C. Furthermore, LiFePO4/CSEs/Li cells demonstrate a high specific capacity of 148.5 mAh g−1 at a current density of 1 C, which is stably maintained over 880 cycles. Overall, the innovative synthetic approach in producing multifunctional fillers for CSEs shows strong potential for enhancing the performance of advanced lithium metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanosized zirconium 1,4- dicarboxybenzene metal-organic framework (UiO-66-MOF) was synthesized and impregnated into cellulose acetate (CA) polymeric matrix to enhance the membrane characteristics for brackish water desalination. Phase inversion was used for the fabrication of CA/UiO-66 hybrid membranes (CAU-X), where X is the concentration of immobilized UiO-66 nanoparticles (UiO-66-NPs) into CA polymeric matrix. Morphological structure and functional groups were investigated through different characterization techniques to prove the successful synthesis of the prepared UiO-66-NPs, the blank CA membrane, and hybrid CAU-X membranes. For more CAU-X characteristics, porosity, contact angle, and tensile strength were measured. The obtained data demonstrated that the impregnation of zirconium-based-NPs had a positive influence on the blank CA membrane properties. Additionally, the performance of the fabricated membranes was investigated in reverse osmosis (RO) bench-scale unit. The performance results for the pristine CAU-0 membrane showed a high salt rejection (SR) of 99.8% and a permeate water flux (PWF) of 1.14 L/m2.h. In comparison to pristine CA membrane, CAU-X hybrid membranes have a slightly lower SR and a higher PWF. It was found that the hybrid CAU-0.02 membrane had almost a doubled PWF of 2.8 L/m2.h with only 2% sacrificed SR of 97.6% compared with CAU-0 membrane. Moreover, a much better PWF of 3.4 L/m2h and a sufficient SR of approximetly 92% were obtained by CAU-0.05 membrane. Thus, CAU-0.05 was selected to further test its performance under different operating parameters. Results revealed that the optimum parameters were recorded for a sodium chloride feed stock of 5000 ppm operating at 25 °C temperature and pressure up to 15 bar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of soluble U(VI) to insoluble and less toxic U(IV) by photocatalysis is an effective method to control uranium contamination. The graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (CNN)/UiO-66 composites (CNNU) were prepared by thermal polymerization and solvothermal methods for the removal of U(VI). The morphology, crystal structure and optical properties of composites were analyzed by SEM, XRD, BET, UV-DRS, PL and EIS. The results showed the introduction of UiO-66 increased the specific surface of CNN from 9.07 m2/g to 46.24 m2/g, and effectively suppressed the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes and improved the photocatalytic activity. The U(VI) removal capacity by adsorption and photocatalysis of CNNU was reached 779.47 mg/g, which significantly higher than that of adsorption (478.38 mg/g). The adsorption process was found to conform to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isothermal model. Meanwhile, U(VI) adsorbed on the CNNU was reduced to U(IV) via e− and ·O2− generated in the photocatalytic process. Therefore, this outstanding performance of CNNU in U(VI) removal is attributed to the synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalytic reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of capsules with additives that can be added to polymers during extrusion processing can lead to advances in the manufacturing of textile fabrics with improved and durable properties. In this work, caffeine (CAF), which has anti-cellulite properties, has been encapsulated by liquid-assisted milling in zirconium-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with different textural properties and chemical functionalization: commercial UiO-66, UiO-66 synthesized without solvents, and UiO-66-NH2 synthesized in ethanol. The CAF@MOF capsules obtained through the grinding procedure have been added during the extrusion process to recycled polyamide 6 (PA6) and to a biopolymer based on polylactic acid (PLA) to obtain a load of approximately 2.5 wt% of caffeine. The materials have been characterized by various techniques (XRD, NMR, TGA, FTIR, nitrogen sorption, UV–vis, SEM, and TEM) that confirm the caffeine encapsulation, the preservation of caffeine during the extrusion process, and the good contact between the polymer and the MOF. Studies of the capsules and PA6 polymer+capsules composites have shown that release is slower when caffeine is encapsulated than when it is free, and the textural properties of UiO-66 influence the release more prominently than the NH2 group. However, an interaction is established between the biopolymer PLA and caffeine that delays the release of the additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel has recently emerged as a renewable and environmentally benign fuel substitute for fossil‐derived energy sources. The use of heterogeneous solid catalysts for the generation of biodiesel from biomass‐derived fats and oils is sustainable. Among various reported catalyst supports, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been popular choices for enhancing catalytic activity for biodiesel synthesis because of several outstanding features including porosity, high surface area, adjustable structures, and uniform pore sizes. In this research, the authors synthesized a novel nanocomposite of MOF‐supported hydroxyapatite (UiO‐66@HAp) using a facile impregnation technique and the characterization of the as‐synthesized catalyst was performed by different spectroscopic methods including powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission gun‐scanning electron microscope (FEG‐SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and N2 adsorption–desorption techniques. After successful synthesis, the catalytic property of the prepared material was evaluated in the palm oil transesterification into biodiesel. Product formation was confirmed by the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, 13C NMR, FTIR, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) of the biodiesel. The influence of different reaction variables such as catalyst dosage, methanol/oil molar ratio, temperature of the reaction, and reaction time was also studied. The outcomes revealed that the maximum biodiesel yield (∼97%) was obtained when 6 wt% catalyst was used with a 6:1 ratio of methanol/oil at 70 °C for 1 h. It was also observed that, even after 5 cycles of reuse, the catalyst was capable of producing significant amounts of biodiesel (over 90%). The results suggest that the synthesized novel catalyst holds a promising future in the sustainable production of biodiesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the chlorine retention performance of both UiO-66 and UiO-66@GO metal–organic frameworks has been highlighted. A 48 × 10−5 % solution of drinking water with sodium hypochlorite (H2O-NaClO) was filtered on one hand with UiO-66 and on the other with UiO-66@GO. Using OTO reagent, it was determined their respective performance in terms of chlorine retention. It is worth to note that UiO-66@GO composite is a good material option to retain chlorine from drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitoxantrone (MTX) is a drug employed in breast cancer treatment, but its application is largely limited due to side effects. A controlled delivery approach can potentially reduce the side effects. In this study, two zirconium (Zr)-based MOFs, UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH2, were studied for a more controlled delivery of MTX with a 40% and 21% loading capacity, respectively. Characterisation via powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering confirmed the integrity of structure post-MTX loading. UV–vis spectrophotometry revealed distinctive release profiles, with UiO-66-MTX exhibiting a 25% cumulative release after 96 h in water and 120 h in PBS +10% FBS. UiO-66-NH2-MTX displayed a more sustained release, reaching 62% in water and 47% in PBS +10% FBS after 168 h. The interaction between MTX and the MOFs was also proposed based on computational modelling, suggesting a stronger interaction of UiO-66NH2 and MTX, and an optimised interaction of MTX in the tetrahedral and octahedral pores of the MOFs. The study also reports the release profile of the drug and antiproliferative activity against a panel of breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, and MCF7) and a normal breast epithelial cell line (MCF10A). MTX-encapsulated MOFs were thoroughly characterised, and their biological activity was assessed in vitro. MTT cell viability assay indicated a higher IC50 value for MTX-loaded MOFs compared to free MTX in physiological conditions, albeit with a slower release profile. These findings suggest the potential of these MTX-loaded MOFs as an alternative avenue for formulation to mitigate side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UIO-66 studied in this paper exhibits unprecedented thermal stability with a very high surface area and mechanical strength. This unique combination of properties opens up a wide range of promising applications. Here, we investigate the saturable absorption effects and ultrafast photonic applications of UIO-66. It shows that UIO-66 could emerge as a novel nonlinear material for ultrafast optics. By fabricating a real saturable absorber and incorporating it into a passively mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser, traditional solitons with a pulse duration of 0.96 ps at a repetition rate of 4.12 MHz have been obtained. The mode-locked spectrum centered at 1562.4 nm features a full width at half maximum of 3.5 nm. Our results may trigger follow-up investigations on the optical properties of UIO-66 and pave potential avenues for photonic and optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid economic development and increased demand for mineral products in China have led to extensive extraction of various ores, resulting in significant environmental challenges associated with the generation of industrial solid waste, particularly iron tailings. Despite being a major mining nation, China faces issues of wasteful practices, with substantial amounts of valuable elements lost during the processing of iron ore. This study addresses the urgent need for sustainable solutions by proposing an innovative approach for the recovery of valuable elements from iron tailings. The proposed process involves a sequential application of acid leaching, chemical precipitation, and Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) ion adsorption. The pre-treated iron tailings were leached in HCl solution with pH 1.5 at 70 °C for 2 h, and the co-leaching efficiency of 98.1% V, 98.2% Mo, 99.3% Fe, and 98.7% Mg was obtained. Chemical precipitation is then employed to isolate Fe, Mg V, and Mo and promote the formation of targeted compounds, ensuring concentration and purity. The integration of MOF ion adsorption, known for its high surface area and tunable pore structures, provides an efficient platform for selectively capturing and recovering target ions. 97.7% V and 96.3% Mo were selectively extracted from Zirconium 1,4-carboxybenzene metal-organic framework (UiO-66) adsorption system with pH 5.0 at 30 °C for 6 h, and 91.7% V and 90.3% Mo were selectively extracted from 2-methylimidazole zinc salt metal-organic framework (ZIF-8) adsorption system with pH 5 at 30 °C for 6.0 h. This three-stage process offers an efficient method for the recovery of valuable elements from iron tailings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Conjugated polymers exhibit significant potential for use in gas sensors owing to their flexibility and straightforward preparation. However, the performance of organic gas sensors based on such materials is currently suboptimal owing to their poor charge‐transport properties and limited selectivity. To address this limitation, a novel strategy that involves blending a chemically modified metal–organic framework (MOF) material, UiO‐66, with a conjugated polymer is developed. The MOF porous material is chemically modified with polar nitrogen‐containing functional groups (amino and nitro groups) to create gas molecule adsorption sites. To evaluate the impact of these modifications on the sensing performance, experiments that combined the sensing performance with a density functional theory simulation are conducted. The findings reveal that gas sensors fabricated using an amine‐functionalized MOF blended with conjugated polymers exhibit significantly higher sensitivity than home polymer devices, the sensing performance of the UiO‐66‐NH2/P3HT blend film improved by a factor of two with a sensitivity of ≈2%/ppm and an LOD of 0.001 ppt. Additionally, these devices exhibit exclusive NO2‐sensing performance for other gases such as CO2 and SO2.

Protein phosphorylation in sweat metabolites plays a key role in nerve activity, muscle contraction, and other activities, and abnormal protein phosphorylation may lead to diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders. Real-time non-invasive monitoring of changes in phosphorylated protein levels in sweat facilitates the development of prevention of human degenerative neurological diseases. Here, an electrochemical sensor for the detection of trace phosphoproteins in sweat was constructed by exploiting the selective enrichment ability of the TiZr dual active center in the TiO2 NPs@UiO-66 structure for phosphoproteins. The common phosphoprotein α-Casein was selected as a demonstration sample to show the functionality of the designed sensing platform. The sensor exhibited excellent selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility and stability with a detection limit as low as 0.659 μmol/L and a detection range of 1–10 μmol/L. In addition, the low biotoxicity of the prepared materials was verified by biological experiments on SD rats and volunteers, which can meet the needs of skin-friendly biosensors. The detection of phosphoproteins in human sweat at rest and during exercise verified the performance for practical applications. This work realizes the goal of non-invasive and continuous detection of phosphoproteins in sweat in wearable devices.

Objective(s): Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) nanostructures, due to their capability of easy surface modification, are considered interesting structures for delivery. In the present study, the surfaces of UIO-66 and NH2-UIO-66 MOFs were modified by polyethyleneimine (PEI) 10000 Da, and their efficiency for plasmid delivery was evaluated. Materials and Methods: Two different approaches, were employed to prepare surface-modified nanoparticles. The physicochemical characteristics of the resulting nanoparticles, as well as their transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity, were investigated on the A549 cell line. Results: The sizes of DNA/nanocarriers for PEI-modified UIO-66 (PEI-UIO-66) were between 212–291 nm and 267–321 nm for PEI 6-bromohexanoic acid linked UIO-66 (PEI-HEX-UIO-66). The zeta potential of all was positive with the ranges of +16 to +20 mV and +23 to +26 mV for PEI-UIO-66 and PEI-HEX-UIO-66, respectively. Cellular assay results showed that the PEI linking method had a higher rate of gene transfection efficiency with minimal cytotoxicity than the wet impregnation method. The difference between transfection of modified nanoparticles compared to the PEI 10 kDa was not significant but the PEI-HEX-UIO-66 showed less cytotoxicity. Conclusion: The present study suggested that the post-synthetic modification of MOFs with PEI 10000 Da through EDC/NHS+6-bromohexanoic acid reaction can be considered as an effective approach for modifying MOFs’ structure in order to obtain nanoparticles with better biological function in the gene delivery process.

A membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) combines membrane technology with biofilm processes and has unique advantages in the treatment of organic wastewater and volatile wastewater. The common membranes for MABR systems usually have relatively uneven pore structures and low bubble point pressure, resulting in unsatisfactory O2 utilization and wastewater treatment efficiency. In this work, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and UiO-66 (a Zr-based metal organic framework) were coated on the surface of a commercial polypropylene (PP) hollow fiber membrane to prepare oxygen-rich MABR membranes and modules, which showed an attractive O2 utilization rate and wastewater treatment efficiency. The bubble points of the PDMS and PDMS-UiO-66 membranes were significantly higher than those of the PP membranes, and the PDMS-UiO-66 membranes had better oxygen enrichment capacity and biological affinity. The optimal PDMS-UiO-66 membrane modules had an O2 permeance of 31.65 GPU (1 GPU = 3.35 × 10−10 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1), with O2/N2 selectivity of 2.21. The membrane hanging effect and processing capacity for domestic sewage were greatly improved. This study may provide insights and guidelines to fabricate porous mixed matrix membranes and modules in the industry for MABR. The developed products are expected to be applied in the actual separation process. HIGHLIGHTS PDMS and PDMS-UiO-66 were coated on the PP support to prepare O2-rich MABR membranes and modules.; With UiO-66 loading, the module has a higher O2/N2 separation performance, a rougher and more hydrophilic membrane surface.; The PDMS-UiO-66 membrane module exhibits a good biofilm hanging effect and high NH4+-N removal performance.;

The Zr‐based Metal Organic Framework (MOF) UiO‐66(Zr) is widely employed owing to its good thermal and chemical stabilities. Although the long‐range structure of this MOF is preserved in the presence of water during several days, little is known about the formation of defects, which cannot be detected using diffraction techniques. We apply here 17O solid‐state NMR spectroscopy at 18.8 T to investigate the reactivity of UiO‐66, through the exchange of oxygen atoms between the different sites of the MOF and water. For that purpose, we have selectively enriched in 17O isotope the carboxylate groups of UiO‐66(Zr) by using it with 17O‐labeled terephthalic acid prepared using mechanochemistry. In the presence of water at 50 °C and a following dehydration at 150 °C, we observe an overall exchange of O atoms between COO− and μ3‐O2− sites. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the three distinct oxygen sites, μ3‐OH, μ3‐O2− and COO−, of UiO‐66(Zr) MOF can be enriched in 17O isotope by post‐synthetic hydrothermal treatment in the presence of 17O‐enriched water. These results demonstrate the lability of Zr−O bonds and the reactivity of UiO‐66(Zr) with water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amine gases and formaldehyde (HCHO) have been used as typical indicators to monitor the quality of marine fish products. However, current detection methods are time-consuming and complicated to preprocess and have limitations such as high technicality requirements. Therefore, developing a sensor capable of simultaneously detecting multiple amine gases and HCHO with high performance in a simple way remains a significant challenge. In this paper, trimethylamine (TMA), dimethylamine (DMA), ammonia gas (NH3), and HCHO were tested by a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gas sensor modified with a UiO-66/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposite. The sensor was operated at room temperature (25 °C) and fixed humidity (35% RH), and the results showed that the limits of detection of the QCM gas sensor for TMA, DMA, NH3, and HCHO were 0.32, 0.52, 1.02, and 2.4 μmoL L–1, respectively. At the same time, our sensor could be reused more than ten times without degradation of sensor signals and showed high stability even after a long storage period of up to 2 months. The adsorption mechanism of the UiO-66/MWCNT nanocomposite-based QCM gas sensor toward the target gases was simulated. Ultimately, salmon meat was examined using the sensor that had been prepared, and the detection outcomes were contrasted with the findings from the Kjeldahl nitrogen determination. The results indicated that refrigerated salmon began emitting target gases on the second day and gradually increased thereafter. By the fifth day, the concentration of the target gases reached the point of complete spoilage. Our platform may be a promising platform for basic research and versatile practical applications in food quality assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) nanostructures, due to their capability of easy surface modification, are considered interesting structures for delivery. In the present study, the surfaces of UIO-66 and NH2-UIO-66 MOFs were modified by polyethyleneimine (PEI) 10000 Da, and their efficiency for plasmid delivery was evaluated. Materials and Methods: Two different approaches, were employed to prepare surface-modified nanoparticles. The physicochemical characteristics of the resulting nanoparticles, as well as their transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity, were investigated on the A549 cell line. Results: The sizes of DNA/nanocarriers for PEI-modified UIO-66 (PEI-UIO-66) were between 212-291 nm and 267-321 nm for PEI 6-bromohexanoic acid linked UIO-66 (PEI-HEX-UIO-66). The zeta potential of all was positive with the ranges of +16 to +20 mV and +23 to +26 mV for PEI-UIO-66 and PEI-HEX-UIO-66, respectively. Cellular assay results showed that the PEI linking method had a higher rate of gene transfection efficiency with minimal cytotoxicity than the wet impregnation method. The difference between transfection of modified nanoparticles compared to the PEI 10 kDa was not significant but the PEI-HEX-UIO-66 showed less cytotoxicity. Conclusion: The present study suggested that the post-synthetic modification of MOFs with PEI 10000 Da through EDC/NHS+6-bromohexanoic acid reaction can be considered as an effective approach for modifying MOFs' structure in order to obtain nanoparticles with better biological function in the gene delivery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]