Screening of Aluminum-Based MOFs for Effective In Situ Immobilization of Biomolecules

An effective approach for the immobilization and protection of biological entities is their encapsulation via the in situ synthesis of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). To ensure the preservation of the bioentities, mild synthetic conditions, including aqueous media and ambient conditions (temperature and pressure), are preferred. In this study, we investigated the synthesis of various aluminum polycarboxylate-based MOFs, including the fumarate, terephthalate, amino-terephthalate, and muconate forms of MIL-53(Al), as well as the MIL-110 and MIL-160 MOF types. The potential as immobilization matrices was then assessed using bovine serum albumin (BSA). Finally, MIL-53(Al)-fum was selected for the encapsulation of a mixture of polysaccharides and more structurally complex bioentities (viruses).