Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 encapsulated with Mo-based polyoxometalates as surfaces with antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli

) and a 4.35 times increase in the bactericidal kinetics rate constant. The time-kill curve experiment revealed that PMA@ZIF-8 achieved a 3-log reduction within 7 hours, whereas ZIF-8 required 24 hours to reach the same level of reduction. The density functional theory (DFT) calculated bandgap of PMA@ZIF-8 was significantly less than that of ZIF-8. Also, PMA@ZIF-8 has caused the elimination of 56.72% of the thiol group as detected by Ellman's assay. Accordingly, PMA@ZIF-8 can be both computationally and experimentally demonstrated as an oxidative nanozyme. PMA@ZIF-8's surface topology revealed nanorod protrusions, suggesting a potential mechano-bactericidal effect, which was confirmed by live/dead assay on PMA@ZIF-8-coated glass. This study highlights the potential of the PMA@ZIF-8 hybrid as a highly effective antibacterial agent, holding promise for creating multifunctional antibacterial surfaces.