Room temperature synthesized metal organic frameworks of Lawsonia inermis: Potential candidates for sensing and cellular imaging

Abstract

A novel environmentally benign synthesis of Zn and Fe based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) of Lawsonia inermis leaf extract prepared in-house by a simple room temperature extraction technique is presented. BET isotherm and HRTEM analyses revealed mesoporous nature of the newly synthesized MOFs [6.4 nm (Zn-NLw), 3.6 nm (Fe-NLw)]. Their potential for host-guest interaction facilitating sensing applications was demonstrated by selective binding of histidine (His) and tryptophan (Trp) recognized from fluorescence. Addition of His and Trp, induced significant changes in the emission maxima of MOFs (at 470 nm) demonstrating their sensing capacity for these molecules. Host-guest interaction was further investigated by electrochemical studies evidenced as a function of variation in oxidation-reduction peaks. Cytocompatibility of the MOFs were assessed by MTT assay, impact on cellular architecture, degree of cellular uptake while their application in cell imaging was investigated by confocal microscopy analysis. The results suggest excellent biocompatibility of Zn-NLw and Fe-NLw in vitro with significant level of uptake by cells. Fe-NLw exhibited time dependent subcellular localization with distinct luminescence characteristics at a short time period of 30 min as well as at 2 h. These results therefore validate the potential application of Zn-NLw and Fe-NLw in biosensing and fluorescence based bioimaging.