Metal-organic frameworks for virus detection

Wang, Ying; Hu, Yaqin; He, Qunye; Yan, Jianhua; Xiong, Hongjie; Wen, Nachuan; Cai, Shundong; Peng, Dongming; Liu, Yanfei; Liu, Zhenbao

Virus severely endangers human life and health, the detection of virus is essential for the prevention and treatment of associated disease. Metal-organic framework (MOF), a novel hybrid porous material which bridged by the metal clusters and organic linkers, has become a promising biosensor platform for virus detection due to its outstanding properties including high surface area, adjustable pore size, ligands modification, etc. However, the MOF-based sensing platforms for virus detection is rarely summarized. This review systematically divided the detection platforms into nucleic acid and immunological (antigen and antibody) detection and the underlying sensing mechanisms were interpreted. The nucleic acid sensing was discussed based on the properties of MOF (such as metal ion, functional groups, geometry structure, size, porosity, stability, etc.), revealing the relationship between the sensing performance and properties of MOF. Moreover, antibodies sensing based on the fluorescent detection and antigens sensing based on molecular imprinting or electrochemical immunoassay were highlighted. Furthermore, the remaining challenges and future development of MOF for virus detection were further discussed and proposed. This review will provide valuable references for construction of sophisticated sensing platform for the detection of virus, especially 2019 coronavirus.