Lyophilized Cell-Free Systems Display Tolerance to Organic Solvent Exposure.

Cell-free systems offer a powerful way to deliver biochemical activity to the field without cold chain storage. These systems are capable of sensing as well as biosynthesis of useful molecules at the point of need. So far, cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) reactions have been studied as aqueous solutions in test tubes or absorbed into paper or cloth.

Silk fibroin as an additive for cell-free protein synthesis.

Cell-free systems contain many proteins and metabolites required for complex functions such as transcription and translation or multi-step metabolic conversions. Research into expanding the delivery of these systems by drying or by embedding into other materials is enabling new applications in sensing, point-of-need manufacturing, and responsive materials. Meanwhile, silk fibroin from the silk worm, has received attention as a protective additive for dried enzyme formulations and as a material to build biocompatible hydrogels for controlled localization or delivery of biomolecular cargoes.

High-Throughput Screening of MOFs for Breakdown of V-Series Nerve Agents.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown promise for the catalytic decomposition of chemical weapons. Finding the best materials for the degradation of nerve agents requires the ability to screen a high number of samples and elucidate the key parameters of effective catalysis. In this work, a high-throughput screening (HTS) method has been developed to evaluate MOFs as catalysts, specifically against the V-class of nerve agents.

Metal Hydroxide/Polymer Textiles for Decontamination of Toxic Organophosphates: An Extensive Study of Wettability, Catalytic Activity, and the Effects of Aggregation.

Electrospun nanofibers (NFs) incorporated with catalytically active components have gained significant interest in chemical protective clothing. This is because of the desirable properties of the NFs combined with decontamination capability of the active component. Here, a series of metal hydroxide catalysts Ti(OH), Zr(OH), and Ce(OH) were incorporated into three different polymer NF systems.

Air, Water Vapor, and Aerosol Transport through Textiles with Surface Functional Coatings of Metal Oxides and Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Currently, air permeable chemical/biological (CB) protective garments are based on activated carbon technology, which reduces moisture vapor transport needed for evaporative cooling and has potential to absorb and concentrate toxic materials. Researchers are exploring classes of sorbent materials that can selectively accumulate and decompose target compounds for potential to enhance protective suits and allow for novel filtration devices. Here, the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) UiO-66-NH and HKUST-1 have been identified as such materials.

Single-component frameworks for heterogeneous catalytic hydrolysis of organophosphorous compounds in pure water.

Amine modified Zr6-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized through solvent-assisted linker incorporation (SALI) and utilized as single-component heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrolysis of organophosphorous compounds under solely aqueous conditions at room temperature. These materials display unprecidentedly fast catalytic hydrolysis for dimethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate (DMNP) and nerve agent VX without the use of a buffered solution.