Processable films of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been long sought to advance the application of MOFs in various technologies from separations to catalysis. Herein, MOF–polymer mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) are described, formed on several substrates using a wide variety of MOF materials. These MMMs can be delaminated from their substrates to create free-standing MMMs that are mechanically stable and pliable. The MOFs in these MMMs remain highly crystalline, porous, and accessible for further chemical modification through postsynthetic modification (PSM) and postsynthetic exchange (PSE) processes. Overall, the findings here demonstrate a versatile approach to preparing stable functional MMMs that should contribute significantly to the advancement of these materials.

Metalloprotein inhibitors (MPi) are an important class of therapeutics for the treatment of a variety of diseases, including hypertension, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. However, despite their clinical success, there is an apprehension that MPi may be less selective than other small-molecule therapeutics and more prone to inhibit off-target metalloenzymes. We examined the issue of MPi specificity by investigating the selectivity of a variety of MPi against a representative panel of metalloenzymes in the presence of competing metalloproteins (metallothionein, myoglobin, carbonic anhydrase, and transferrin). Our findings reveal that a wide variety of MPi do not exhibit a decrease in inhibitory activity in the presence of large excesses of competing metalloproteins, suggesting that the competing proteins do not titrate the MPi away from its intended target. This study represents a rudimentary but important means to mimic the biological milieu, which contains other metalloproteins that could compete the MPi away from its target. The strategy used in this study may be a useful approach to examine the selectivity of other MPi in development.

Preparation of porous materials from one-dimensional polymers is challenging because the packing of polymer chains results in a dense, non-porous arrangement. Herein, we demonstrate the remarkable adaptation of an amorphous, linear, non-porous, flexible organic polymer into a three-dimensional, highly porous, crystalline solid, as the organic component of a metal–organic framework (MOF). A polymer with aromatic dicarboxylic acids in the backbone functioned as a polymer ligand upon annealing with Zn^II, generating a polymer–metal–organic framework (polyMOF). These materials break the dogma that MOFs must be prepared from small, rigid ligands. Similarly, polyMOFs contradict conventional polymer chemistry by demonstrating that linear and amorphous polymers can be readily coaxed into a highly crystalline, porous, three-dimensional structure by coordination chemistry.

Preparation of porous materials from one-dimensional polymers is challenging because the packing of polymer chains results in a dense, non-porous arrangement. Herein, we demonstrate the remarkable adaptation of an amorphous, linear, non-porous, flexible organic polymer into a three-dimensional, highly porous, crystalline solid, as the organic component of a metal–organic framework (MOF). A polymer with aromatic dicarboxylic acids in the backbone functioned as a polymer ligand upon annealing with Zn^II, generating a polymer–metal–organic framework (polyMOF). These materials break the dogma that MOFs must be prepared from small, rigid ligands. Similarly, polyMOFs contradict conventional polymer chemistry by demonstrating that linear and amorphous polymers can be readily coaxed into a highly crystalline, porous, three-dimensional structure by coordination chemistry.

Processable films of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been long sought to advance the application of MOFs in various technologies from separations to catalysis. Herein, MOF–polymer mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) are described, formed on several substrates using a wide variety of MOF materials. These MMMs can be delaminated from their substrates to create free-standing MMMs that are mechanically stable and pliable. The MOFs in these MMMs remain highly crystalline, porous, and accessible for further chemical modification through postsynthetic modification (PSM) and postsynthetic exchange (PSE) processes. Overall, the findings here demonstrate a versatile approach to preparing stable functional MMMs that should contribute significantly to the advancement of these materials.

Hydrogen peroxide is a major component of oxygen metabolism in biological systems that, when present in high concentrations, can lead to oxidative stress in cells. Noninvasive molecular imaging of H₂O₂ using fluorogenic systems represents an effective way to detect and measure the accumulation of this metabolite. Herein, we detail the development of robust H₂O₂-sensitive fluorescent probes using a boronic ester trigger appended to the fluorophore through a benzyl ether linkage. A major advantage of the probes presented here is their synthetic accessibility, with only one step needed to generate the probes on the gram scale. The sensitivity of the probes was evaluated in simulated physiological conditions, showing micromolar sensitivity to H₂O₂. The probes were tested in biological model systems, demonstrating effective imaging of unstimulated, endogenous H₂O₂ levels in RAW 264.7 cells and murine brain tissue.

Prodrugs are effective tools in overcoming drawbacks typically associated with drug formulation and delivery. Those employing esterase-triggered functional groups are frequently utilized to mask polar carboxylic acids and phenols, increasing drug-like properties such as lipophilicity. Herein we detail a comprehensive assessment for strategies that effectively release hydroxy and phenolic moieties in the presence of an esterase. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) serve as our proof-of-concept target. Three distinct ester-responsive protecting groups are incorporated into MMP proinhibitors containing hydroxy moieties. Analytical evaluation of the proinhibitors demonstrates that the use of a benzyl ether group appended to the esterase trigger leads to considerably faster kinetics of conversion and enhanced aqueous stability when compared with more conventional approaches where the trigger is directly attached to the inhibitor. Biological assays confirm that all protecting groups effectively cleave in the presence of esterase to generate the active inhibitor. The superior reaction-based prodrug strategies presented here should serve as a platform for esterase-responsive prodrug design in the future.

Postsynthetic modification is presented as a means to tune the hydrogen adsorption properties of a series of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). IRMOF-3 (isoreticular metal–organic framework), UMCM-1-NH₂ (University of Michigan crystalline material), and DMOF-1-NH₂ (DABCO metal–organic framework) have been covalently modified with a series of anhydrides or isocyanates and the hydrogen sorption properties have been studied. Both the storage capacities and isosteric heats of adsorption clearly show that covalent postsynthetic modification can significantly enhance the sorption affinity of MOFs with hydrogen and in some cases increase both gravimetric and volumetric uptake of the gas as much as 40 %. The significance of the present study is illustrated by: 1) the nature of the substituents introduced by postsynthetic modification result in different effects on the binding of hydrogen; 2) the covalent postsynthetic modification approach allows for systematic modulation of hydrogen sorption properties; and 3) the ease of postsynthetic modification of MOFs allows a direct evaluation of the interplay between MOF structure, hydrogen uptake, and heat of adsorption. The findings presented herein show that postsynthetic modification is a powerful method to manipulate and better understand the gas sorption properties of MOFs.

The need for selective matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition is of interest because of the range of pathologies mediated by different MMP isoforms. The development of more selective MMP inhibitors (MMPi) may help to overcome some of the undesired side effects that have hindered the clinical success of these compounds. In an effort to devise new approaches to selective inhibitors, herein we describe several novel MMPi and show that their selectivity is dependent on the nature of the zinc-binding group (ZBG). This is in contrast to most current MMPi, which obtain isoform selectivity solely from the peptidomimetic backbone portion of the compound. In the present study, six different hydroxypyrone and hydroxypyridinone ZBGs were appended to a common biphenyl backbone and the inhibition efficiency of each inhibitor was determined in vitro (IC₅₀ values) against MMP-1, -2, -3, -7, -8, -9, -12, and -13. The results show that the selectivity profile of each inhibitor is different as a result of the various ZBGs. Computational modeling studies were used to explain some trends in the observed selectivity profiles. To assess the importance of the ZBG in a biological model, two of the semiselective, potent MMPi (and one control) were evaluated using an isolated perfused rat heart system. Hearts were subjected to ischemia reperfusion injury, and recovery of contractile function was examined. In this model, only one of the two MMPi showed significant and sustained heart recovery, demonstrating that the choice of ZBG can have a significant effect in a relevant pathophysiological endpoint.