New biologically derived Metal-organic framework mimics DNA.
New biologically derived metal-organic framework mimics DNA April 8, 2019 , Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne S SION-19, a biologically derived MOF based on adenine was used to ‘lock’ Thymine (Thy) molecules in the channels through hydrogen bonding interactions between adenine and thymine. Upon irradiation, thymine molecules were dimerized into di-thymine (ThyThy). Credit: Peter G. Boyd/EPFL The field of materials science has become abuzz with "metal-organic frameworks" (MOFs), versatile compounds made up of metal ions connected to organic ligands, thus forming one-, two-, or three-dimensional structures. There is now an ever-growing list of applications for MOF, including separating petrochemicals, detoxing water from heavy metals and fluoride anions, and getting hydrogen or even gold out of it. But recently, scientists have begun making MOFs, made of building blocks that typically make up biomolecules, e.g. amino acids for proteins or ...