Versatile Multi‐Wavelength Light‐Responsive Metal‐Organic Frameworks Micromotor through Porphyrin Metalation for Water Sterilization

Abstract

AbstractTraditional metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) based micro/nanomotors (MOFtors) can achieve three‐dimensional (3D) motion mainly depending on noble metal (e.g., Pt), toxic fuels (e.g., hydrogen peroxide), and surfactants, or under external magnetic fields. In this study, light‐driven MOFtors are constructed based on PCN‐224(H) and regulated their photothermal and photochemical properties responding to the light of different wavelengths through porphyrin metalation. The resulting PCN‐224(Fe) MOFtors presented a strong 3D motion at a maximum speed of 1234.9 ± 367.5 µm s−1 under visible light due to the various gradient fields by the photothermal and photochemical effects. Such MOFtors exhibit excellent water sterilization performance. Under optimal conditions, the PCN‐224(Cu) MOFtors presented the best antibacterial performance of 99.4%, which improved by 23.4% compared to its static counterpart and 43.7% compared to static PCN‐224(H). The underlying mechanism demonstrates that metal doping could increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and result in a more positive surface charge under light, which are short‐distance effective sterilizing ingredients. Furthermore, the motion of MOFtors appears very important to extend the short‐distance effective sterilization and thus synergistically improve the antibacterial performance. This work provides a new idea for preparing and developing light‐driven MOFtors with multi‐responsive properties.