A Robust and Biocompatible Bismuth Ellagate MOF Synthesized Under Green Ambient Conditions

The
first bioinspired microporous metal–organic framework
(MOF) synthesized using ellagic acid, a common natural antioxidant
and polyphenol building unit, is presented. Bi2O­(H2O)2(C14H2O8)·nH2O (SU-101) was inspired by bismuth phenolate
metallodrugs, and could be synthesized entirely from nonhazardous
or edible reagents under ambient aqueous conditions, enabling simple
scale-up. Reagent-grade and affordable dietary supplement-grade ellagic
acid was sourced from tree bark and pomegranate hulls, respectively.
Biocompatibility and colloidal stability were confirmed by in vitro
assays. The material exhibits remarkable chemical stability for a
bioinspired MOF (pH = 2–14, hydrothermal conditions, heated
organic solvents, biological media, SO2 and H2S), attributed to the strongly chelating phenolates. A total H2S uptake of 15.95 mmol g–1 was recorded,
representing one of the highest H2S capacities for a MOF,
where polysulfides are formed inside the pores of the material. Phenolic
phytochemicals remain largely unexplored as linkers for MOF synthesis,
opening new avenues to design stable, eco-friendly, scalable, and
low-cost MOFs for diverse applications, including drug delivery.