A green strategy for decoration of silver nanoparticles on MOF for catalytic reduction and cytotoxic activity against colon cancer

In this research, a novel biogenic strategy for decoration of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on metal-organic frameworks (MOF) was suggested. The proposed protocol depended upon using of propolis as a green reducing agent for immobilization of Ag NPs on MOF. The XRD and SEM analyses were employed to identify the crystallinity and morphology of the fabricated MOF@Ag material, respectively. The MOF@Ag was utilized as an effective catalyst for the catalytic hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol as a toxic pollutant using potassium borohydride. 4-Nitrophenol was completely reduced in 50 s, as confirmed by UV-Vis experiments. The relationship between the ln(At/A0) and reaction time was found to be linear, indicating that the reduction of 4-nitrophenol with the MOF@Ag nanocatalyst followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic. In addition, the green prepared nanocomposite exhibits consistent catalytic activity for a minimum of five cycles in the hydrogenation of target pollutant. The study also explored the anti-cancer property of the MOF@Ag on the common human colon cancer cell lines (HT-29 and HCT-116). The MTT assay studies on cell viability indicated that the MOF@Ag exhibited notable cytotoxicity versus colon cancer. The MOF@Ag composite fabricated in this study have proven to be efficient in the scopes of water purification and cancer therapy.