Metal-organic frameworks as non-innocent scaffolds for the encapsulation of active biomolecules

Resumen

Ensuring the safety and quality of food is one of the main focuses of the field of food industry. Different active materials are currently studied to extend the useful life of food products. Metal¿Organic Framework (MOF) materials have emerged in the last years as a promising alternative owing to their excellent porosity, high loading capacity, controlled release ability and ease of surface modification. The main motivation of this Thesis is to evaluate the possible use of different MOFs as encapsulation agents of active biomolecules to develop smart composite materials that can be employed in food industry applications. The Thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 corresponds to a general introduction to the field of MOFs and their biorelated applications, from drug delivery and biomedicine to food industry, presenting the importance of essential oils and its derivatives in this later field. Chapter 2 presents a systematic study in which the suitability of MOFs as essential oil encapsulating agents is determined. After selecting the best performing scaffolds, in Chapter 3 the implementation of a biomolecule@MOF composite into biopolymeric films and its antibacterial activity are studied, thoroughly elucidating the chemical interactions between the guest molecule and the host framework. Chapter 4 concerns the obtention of a series of biomolecule@MOF composites with enhanced antifungal properties. Finally, in Chapter 5, the encapsulation of macrobiomolecules is targeted by synthetizing two mixed-metal hierarchical mesoporous MOFs following a green chemistry route.