Issue

Vol. 18 (2026)

Microenvironment-Engineered Biocatalytic Metal–Organic Framework Nanomotors for Selective and Transformative Water Decontamination

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-02064-w
Shu Xu
SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety and MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, People’s Republic of China
Jueyi Xue
School of Chemical Engineering and Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Linyun Bao
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Environmental Technology, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, People’s Republic of China
Joel Yong
School of Chemical Engineering and Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Ying Cao
State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, People’s Republic of China
Jun Ma
State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, People’s Republic of China
Kang Liang
School of Chemical Engineering and Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

Corresponding Author: Kang Liang

kang.liang@unsw.edu.au

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 224

Abstract

Catalytically powered micro-/nanomotors have become a compelling alternative to conventional catalysts for active and efficient removal of environmental pollutants in water remediation. We developed a novel biocatalytic nanomotor system by encapsulating catalase and peroxidase enzymes into metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), demonstrating exceptional speed and facilitated motion-induced convection and mass transfer. Leveraging a synergistic structural etching and surface engineering strategy using tannic acid (TA), we create a tailored microenvironment of the MOF’s framework with charge-selective and nanoconfinement properties. Both experimental and simulation results indicate that microenvironment modulation of MOF matrix could act in synergy with the encapsulated enzymes and significantly improve efficiency and selectivity in removing charged pollutants. Surface engineering of TA selectively preconcentrates target contaminants by modulating the MOF shell's surface charge, while etching-induced voids facilitate rapid mass transfer to the enzyme active sites. Finally, we also validated the applicability of these nanomotors in the transformative removal of pollutants from the aqueous phase into polymeric products via an enzyme-mediated polymerization pathway. This biocatalytic nanomotor system provides a promising water remediation paradigm for reducing carbon emissions and recycling chemical energy from emerging contaminants.


Highlights:
1 Biocatalytic metal–organic framework nanomotors were engineered with tunable microenvironment through a synergistic etching and surface engineering strategy.
2 Enhanced catalytic efficiency and selectivity for dye decontamination were achieved through charge-based enrichment and nanoconfinement effects.
3 Exceptional performance in water remediation of emerging contaminants, e.g., ~ 98% bisphenol A removal, in 2 min was achieved via enzymatic transformation into recoverable products.

Keywords

Nanomotor MOFs Selective biodegradation Emerging contaminants Water remediation
Xu, Shu, Jueyi Xue, Linyun Bao, Joel Yong, Ying Cao, Jun Ma, and Kang Liang. 2026. “Microenvironment-Engineered Biocatalytic Metal–Organic Framework Nanomotors for Selective and Transformative Water Decontamination”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (January):224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-02064-w.
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