A comprehensive study for the potential removal of 152+154Eu radionuclides using a promising modified strontium-based MOF

A facile modification of a strontium-based MOF using oxalic acid was carried out to prepare MTSr-OX MOF, which was used as a potential substance for eliminating 152+154Eu radioisotopes. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize MTSr-OX-MOF. The prepared MOF had a rod-like structure with a BET surface area of 101.55 m2 g-1. Batch sorption experiments were used to investigate the sorption performance of MTSr-OX-MOF towards 152+154Eu radionuclides where different parameters like pH, contact time, initial 152+154Eu concentration, ionic strength, and temperature were scrutinized to determine the optimum conditions for 152+154Eu removal. MTSr-OX-MOF showed superior effectiveness in the elimination of 152+154Eu with a maximum sorption capacity of 234.72 mg g-1 at pH 3.5. Kinetics fitted with the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir model correctly described the sorption mechanism. The thermodynamic variables were carefully examined, demonstrating that the 152+154Eu sorption was endothermic as well as spontaneous. The MTSr-OX-MOF has been found to be a significantly more effective sorbent towards 152+154Eu than that of many other adsorbents. When applied to real active waste, MTSr-OX-MOF demonstrated excellent removal performance for a wide range of radionuclides. As a result, the MTSr-OX-MOF can be recognized as an attractive solution for the 152+154Eu purification from active waste.

Characterization and Antibacterial Evaluation of Biodegradable Mannose-Conjugated Fe-MIL-88NH2 Composites Containing Vancomycin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains

The emergence of bacterial resistance has increased the economic burden of infectious diseases dramatically during the previous few decades. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is difficult to cure in both Gram-negative and positive bacteria and is often incurable with traditional and broad-range antibiotics. Therefore, developing techniques to increase the antibacterial activity of therapeutic drugs is essential. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are extremely versatile hybrid materials made of metal ions coupled via organic bridging ligands. They have been widely used as an excellent vehicle for drug delivery due to their low toxicity, biodegradability, and structural stability upon loading and functionalization. The present study focused on the synthesis of mannose (MNS)-coated MOFs with enhanced surface contact with S. aureus cells. The MNS coating on the surface of MOFs enhances their adherence to bacteria by binding to lectins present on the bacterial cell, resulting in improved VCM cellular penetration and activity against resistant bacteria. Various techniques, including atomic force microscopy, DLS, TGA, FT-IR, and DSC, were employed to analyze MNS-coated MOFs. They were also evaluated for their efficacy against resistant S. aureus. The results indicated that when VCM was loaded into MNS-coated MOFs, their bactericidal activity rose dramatically, resulting in the greater suppression of resistant S. aureus. AFM investigation of S. aureus strains demonstrated total morphological distortion after treatment with MNS-coated drug-loaded MOFs. The results of this work suggest that MNS-coated MOFs may be effective for reversing bacterial resistance to VCM and open new pathways for improving antibiotic therapy for diseases associated with MDR.