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Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) stand out as remarkable materials renowned for their exceptionally high surface area and large number of pores, making them invaluable for diverse sensing applications including gas, biomedical, chemical, and optical sensing. Traditional methods of molecule infusion and release often involve a large number of crystals with varying shapes and sizes, leading to averaged outcomes across a heterogeneous crystal population. In this study, we present continuous monitoring of the infusion and release dynamics of model drug molecules, specifically vitamin B12, within individual Tb-mesoMOF crystals. Our findings underscore the critical influence of crystal size and shape on the infusion and diffusion processes and corresponding color change, underscoring the necessity to account for these factors in the design of large-scale systems. Leveraging optical microscopy, we employed a histogram-based algorithm for image processing, enabling automated tracking of diffusion phenomena. This investigation offers crucial insights into the dynamics of these processes, laying the groundwork for optimizing parameters in future sensing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel Zr(IV)-based MOF with high-density free carboxylic groups was constructed. • The MOF demonstrates high stability and excellent uranium removal performance. • Dynamic sorption tests highlight its potential for treating radioactive wastewater. • The mechanism for its excellent ability to adsorb U(VI) was investigated. The extraction of uranium from aqueous environments, including the ocean and radioactive wastewater, represents a significant challenge with profound implications for energy resources and environmental remediation. This work presents the design and synthesis of a novel highly stable carboxylated metal–organic framework, BUT-12-3COOH, which achieves excellent U(VI) extraction ability from water. BUT-12-3COOH features high-density free carboxylic groups, exceptional chemical stability, fast kinetics, and high adsorption capacity for U(VI). Dynamic sorption experiments further demonstrated the potential of BUT-12-3COOH in treating real radioactive wastewater. The mechanisms for the U(VI) capture of BUT-12-3COOH are investigated through the combination of EDS, FT-IR, and XPS analysis. The results of this study underscore the promising utility of BUT-12-3COOH as an effective sorbent for extracting radionuclides from environmental specimens and liquid nuclear waste streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coupling appropriate semiconductor nanoparticles with massive surface-area support has become a promising but challenging strategy to photocatalyst design for enhanced photocatalytic activity in environmental cleaning applications, owing to the severe aggregation issues of nanoparticles. Herein, the atomic layer deposition (ALD) approach was applied to uniformly disperse ultrafine Cu 2 O nanoparticles (5–10 nm) on metal-organic frameworks without aggregation, forming NH 2 -MIL-101(Fe)/Cu 2 O nanocomposite photocatalysts. The Cu 2 O mass within the nanocomposites can be well controlled by merely adjusting the ALD cycles. The optimal NH 2 -MIL-101(Fe)/Cu 2 O displays a high photodegradation efficiency of 92% for RhB and excellent stability under visible light. The reaction kinetics and photocurrent response experimental results reveal that the optimal NH 2 -MIL-101(Fe)/Cu 2 O photocatalyst exhibits effective charge separation/transfer and suppressed recombination rate of charge carriers, which will significantly increase the solar light utilization efficiency and photocatalytic activity. We believe the presented photocatalyst synthesis strategy here can be generalized to construct other photocatalysts for various photocatalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Albeit metal-organic framework (MOF) composites have been extensively explored, reducing the size and dimensions of various contents within the composition, to the nanoscale regime, has recently presented unique opportunities for enhanced properties with the formation of MOF-based nanocomposites. Many distinctive strategies have been used to fabricate these nanocomposites such as through the introduction of nanoparticles (NPs) into a MOF precursor solution or vice versa to achieve a core-shell or heterostructure configuration. As such, MOF-based nanocomposites offer seemingly limitless possibilities and promising solutions for the vast range of applications across biomedical disciplines especially for improving in vivo implementation. In this review, we focus on the recent development of MOF-based nanocomposites, outline their classification according to the type of integrations (NPs, coating materials, and different MOF-derived nanocomposites), and direct special attention towards the various approaches and strategies employed to construct these nanocomposites for their prospective utilization in biomedical applications including biomimetic enzymes and photo, chemo, sonodynamic, starvation and hyperthermia therapies. Lastly, our work aims to highlight the exciting potential as well as the challenges of MOF-based nanocomposites to help guide future research as well as to contribute to the progress of MOF-based nanotechnology in biomedicine. • A review on recent strategies to develop MOF-based nanocomposites. • Focus on the biomedical applications including biocatalytic, photo, chemo, sonodynamic, starvation and hyperthermia therapies. • Discussion of the synergistic effects of guest functional materials and MOFs. • Challenges and prospects of MOF-based nanotechnology for biomedical utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]