Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline coordination polymers consisting of metal centers connected by organic linkers. The tunable, highly ordered, and porous nature of these materials make them favorable for a variety of applications from gas storage to catalysis. In order to facilitate their incorporation into industrial processes and devices, MOFs are often developed into composites—materials with both a continuous (e.g. polymers) and a dispersed (e.g. MOFs) phase domain. For catalysis applications, composites provide the benefit of increased stability and ease of implementation. To incorporate into medical devices, MOFs must be immobilized on or in a polymer scaffold while retaining their therapeutic properties. The MOF H3[(Cu4Cl)3(BTTri)8] (H3BTTri = 1,3,5-tris(1H-1,2,3-triazol-5-yl)benzene), or CuBTTri, has proved capable of maintaining its crystallinity and catalytic activity after inclusion in hydrophilic polymers such as chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol). This MOF has been investigated for use in biomedical applications because of its demonstrated stability under physiological temperature and pH and ability to catalyze the release of nitric oxide (NO) from endogenous S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs). NO is a critical biomolecule involved in a range of physiological processes including cell signaling, vasodilation, and inhibition of platelet activation. Because of its ability to prevent thrombus formation, designing biocompatible materials for blood-contacting medical devices such as catheters, extracorporeal circuits, and implanted sensors with targeted NO release has been an active area of research. However, the effects of MOF loading, MOF particle heterogeneity, and membrane thickness has yet to be examined in terms of yielding maximum catalytic activity while maintaining favorable membrane properties. Herein, we quantified the effect of these variables on the ability of CuBTTri to catalyze the release of NO from S-nitrosoglutathione in medical-grade hydrophilic polyurethane scaffolds.

Systematic exploration of a catalytic metal–organic framework (MOF)/polyurethane composite membrane: Effect of MOF loading, MOF particle heterogeneity, and membrane thickness on composite performance

ACS Spring 2022

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