Harnessing Infinite Coordination Polymers to Eliminate Harmful Environmental DNA for Water Purification

Harmful environmental DNA (eDNA) contamination in water poses significant health risks, yet traditional treatments fall short of achieving efficient removal. Here, we introduce 1MIA-Zr, a bioinspired infinite coordination polymer catalyst modeled after natural nucleases. 1MIA-Zr achieves a DNA hydrolysis rate approximately 40 times greater than that of UiO-66 REO, the previous best zirconium-based catalyst. It induced a V-shaped cavity similar to the binding domain of natural nucleases and reduced the transition-state energy barrier, enabling it to mimic the natural nucleases' two-step attack, addressing the limitations of prior catalysts. We demonstrate two practical applications of 1MIA-Zr for purifying eDNA-contaminated water: as a water treatment agent and in a portable filtration device. Both methods achieved exceptional removal efficiencies, exceeding 99% for antibiotic resistance genes and over 96% for diverse viral DNAs, including HBV, HPV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, and Zika. This study establishes 1MIA-Zr as a transformative solution for addressing harmful eDNA contamination, offering a sustainable pathway for the production of clean, healthy water.