Asymmetric Fe3 +/Fe3⁻δinterfaces engineering in MOFs via boronic acid ligand substitution for targeted bioaerosol capture and inactivation

Bioaerosols are posing an escalating threat to public health worldwide, exhibiting pathogenic potential even at environmentally relevant concentrations. Catalytic oxidation at room temperature can inactivate bioaerosols via reactive oxygen species (ROS) without external inputs, its practical efficacy remains constrained by inefficient ROS utilization. Here, we introduce a "capture-inactivation" strategy using an iron-based metal–organic framework (Fe-BTC-BA) engineered through partial boronic acid ligand substitution. The incorporated boronic acid moieties confer selective capture of airborne bacteria via specific cis-diol interactions with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on cell walls. Simultaneously, the structural modification disrupts the local symmetry of the Fe sites, generating asymmetric Fe3+/Fe3⁻δ interfaces that promote the dominant production of superoxide (•O₂⁻) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals. With a minimal boron loading of 0.2 wt%, Fe-BTC-BA achieves 99.9% antibacterial efficiency against aerosolized Escherichia coli at a low dose (1.5 mg), representing a 5.0-fold improvement over pristine Fe-BTC. More importantly, Fe-BTC-BA can significantly suppress the culturable microorganisms in real-world environments. Transcriptomics identified a marked enrichment of differentially expressed genes involved in cellular redox balance, metabolic pathways, and ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter function. Disruption of toxin efflux pathways induces bacterial death. This work provides an energy-independent solution for effective bioaerosols control under ambient conditions.