Design and synthesis of zinc and cobalt bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks for biomedical application
摘要
Bimetallic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained significant attention for their enhanced physicochemical and biomedical properties compared to their monometallic counterparts. In this study, monometallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), ZIF-8 (Zn-based) and ZIF-67 (Co-based), were synthesized alongside two core–shell bimetallic structures, ZIF-8@ZIF-67 (Zn-core, Co-shell) and ZIF-67@ZIF-8 (Co-core, Zn-shell), via a one-pot approach to evaluate their structural, thermal, and functional performance. Structural characterization confirmed that ZIF-8@ZIF-67 maintained a well-defined rhombic dodecahedral morphology, while ZIF-67@ZIF-8 exhibited a slightly rougher surface. FTIR spectroscopy and XRD validated successful coordination via Zn/Co–N bonds (422 cm⁻1) and retained crystallinity in all samples. Thermal analysis revealed that while ZIF-8 showed the highest degradation temperature (585 °C), the bimetallic composites ZIF-8@ZIF-67 (536 °C) and ZIF-67@ZIF-8 (498 °C) exhibited greater thermal stability than ZIF-67 (475 °C), confirming the stabilizing effect of metal integration. BET analysis showed higher surface areas for ZIF-8@ZIF-67 (1819.88 m2/g) and ZIF-67@ZIF-8 (1711.67 m2/g) compared to ZIF-8 (1621.33 m2/g) and ZIF-67 (1677.08 m2/g), confirming that bimetallic ZIFs possess superior porosity. Antimicrobial evaluation against E. coli and S. aureus demonstrated 99% bacterial inhibition efficiency and MIC 50 µg/mL through colony counting assays, highlighting the synergistic effect of Zn/Co integration. Biocompatibility studies using human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) revealed that all MOFs maintained over 80% cell viability across 1 and 3 days, confirming their cytocompatibility. These findings highlight the potential of bimetallic ZIFs for applications in drug delivery, antibacterial coatings, catalysis, and environmental remediation, offering a pathway for next-generation multifunctional materials.