Volume 128, Issue 37 pp. 11333-11338
Zuschrift

Selective and Efficient Removal of Mercury from Aqueous Media with the Highly Flexible Arms of a BioMOF

Marta Mon

Marta Mon

Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMOL), Universitat de València, Paterna, 46980 València, Spain

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Prof. Dr. Francesc Lloret

Prof. Dr. Francesc Lloret

Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMOL), Universitat de València, Paterna, 46980 València, Spain

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Dr. Jesús Ferrando-Soria

Corresponding Author

Dr. Jesús Ferrando-Soria

Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMOL), Universitat de València, Paterna, 46980 València, Spain

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Dr. Carlos Martí-Gastaldo

Dr. Carlos Martí-Gastaldo

Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMOL), Universitat de València, Paterna, 46980 València, Spain

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Dr. Donatella Armentano

Corresponding Author

Dr. Donatella Armentano

Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie Chimiche (CTC), Università della Calabria, 87030 Rende, Cosenza, Italy

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Dr. Emilio Pardo

Corresponding Author

Dr. Emilio Pardo

Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMOL), Universitat de València, Paterna, 46980 València, Spain

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First published: 16 August 2016
Citations: 48

Abstract

A robust and water-stable metal–organic framework (MOF), featuring hexagonal channels decorated with methionine residues (1), selectively captures toxic species such as CH3Hg+ and Hg2+ from water. 1 exhibits the largest Hg2+ uptake capacity ever reported for a MOF, decreasing the [Hg2+] and [CH3Hg+] concentrations in potable water from highly hazardous 10 ppm to the much safer values of 6 and 27 ppb, respectively. Just like with biological systems, the high-performance metal capture also involves a molecular recognition process. Both CH3Hg+ and Hg2+ are efficiently immobilized by specific conformations adopted by the flexible thioether “claws” decorating the pores of 1. This leads to very stable structural conformations reminiscent of those responsible for the biological activity of the enzyme mercury reductase (MR).

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