Improving in vivo Uranyl Removal Efficacy of a Nano‐Metal Organic Framework by Interior Functionalization with 3‐Hydroxy‐2‐pyridinone

Comprehensive Summary The environmental contamination of uranium will occur in scenarios such as nuclear accidents and leakage from nuclear waste storage sites, which eventually leads to the internal uranium exposure of people, causing consequential injuries of renal failure, osteosarcoma, etc. The development of uranyl specific chelating agents that could sequester uranium in vivo is in urgent need and is important for the safe and efficient development of nuclear industry. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) already serve as efficient uranium depletion materials in solutions of a wide range of pH and ionic strength for nuclear fuel recycling, uranium extraction from seawater, as well as environmental decontamination. Herein, a chromium‐based nano‐metal organic framework (nano‐MOF) functionalized interiorly with 3,2‐HOPO ligands, MIL‐101‐HOPO, is rationally synthesized. In vitro adsorption experiments show that MIL‐101‐HOPO exhibits high adsorption selectivity and fast adsorption kinetics for uranyl. The results of in vivo uranyl decorporation assays reveal that MIL‐101‐HOPO with the decoration of HOPO ligands on the interior wall exhibits significantly increased uranyl removal ratio in kidneys comparing to the pristine nMOFs, and is more effective than the clinically used ZnNa3‐DTPA. All those results corroborate the interior functionalization of MOFs as an efficient strategy to develop promising uranyl decorporation agents. Herein, a 3,2‐HOPO‐functionalized nano‐MOF (MIL‐101‐HOPO) is reported as an in vivo uranium chelating agent, and its advantages of efficient and selective adsorption, high structural stability, and improved in vivo sequestration efficacy comparing with the pristine nano MOFs are demonstrated, providing strong support for the prospect of functionalized nano‐MOF in the field of actinide decorporation.