MOF-based DNA hydrolases optimized by atom engineering for the removal of antibiotic-resistant genes from aquatic environment

In this study, the spatial location effect of the incorporated metal atoms on the hydrolysis activity of metal organic framework-based nanomaterials (MOFs) was investigated. UiO-type MOFs incorporated with single-atom Cu at different spatial positions were prepared and their hydrolysis activity towards phosphoester bonds was found to be highly depended on the location of the atomically dispersed Cu atoms. Especially, the attachment of Cu atoms to ligand (UiO-67-CuN) resulted in the most significant increase of their hydrolysis activity, which can be attributed to the elevated oxygen vacancies and increased Lewis acidity of MOFs. As a result, UiO-67-CuN efficiently catalyzed the cleavage of DNA acting as DNA hydrolases, thereby effectively inhibiting the horizontal gene transfer of ARGs and eliminating bacterial resistance to antibiotic. This study opens up new prospects for the rational design of high-performance MOF-based DNA hydrolases and developing new treatment strategies for the removal of ARGs.