Synthesis of a COF-on-MOF hybrid nanomaterial for enhanced colorimetric biosensing

The construction of hybrid materials is significant for the exploration of functionalities in colorimetric biosensing due to its structural designability and synergy effects. In this work, a COF-on-MOF hybrid nanomaterial has been newly synthesized for colorimetric biosensing. Experimental results reveal that on-surface synthesis of COF on MOF brings nanoscale proximity between COF and MOF, which exhibits more than two folds of peroxidase-like activity as compared to single Fe-MOF. Therefore, by using the MCA@Fe-MOF nanomaterial with the assist of a specific acetyl-peptide, MCA@Fe-MOF can serve as an efficient signal reporter for colorimetric assay of histone deacetylase (HDAC), and the limit of detection (LOD) can be as low as 0.261 nM. Looking forward, the demand for diverse and promising COF-on-MOF nanomaterials with varied functionalities is anticipated, propelling further exploration of their role in colorimetric biosensing.