Surfactant-assisted mesopores in hierarchical metal–organic frameworks for the immobilization of model protein Cyt c

A hierarchical metal–organic framework, H-mMOF-1 (representing hierarchical medi-MOF-1), was successfully synthesized by the coassembly of MOF starting reagents and a triblock copolymer surfactant F127. The obtained H-mMOF-1 retained its microporous structure but also exhibited mesopores with a size range from 3 to 10 nm. The mesopores were able to accommodate protein Cyt c with a loading capacity of 160 mg g−1. The surfactant-assisted synthesis of hierarchical MOFs provides promising applications for enzyme immobilization.