Role of biocompatible metal–organic frameworks as a source of iron for plant growth under iron-deficient conditions

Ciro Allarà; Manuela Ciocca; M Maver; S Morales-Cámara; P Horcajada; DF Picchi; A van de Meene; A Fournier-Level; Paolo Lugli; S Rojas; Tanja Mimmo; Luisa Petti

doi:10.1039/d6ma00336b

Role of biocompatible metal–organic frameworks as a source of iron for plant growth under iron-deficient conditions

Ciro Allarà, Manuela Ciocca, M Maver, S Morales-Cámara, P Horcajada, DF Picchi, A van de Meene, A Fournier-Level, Paolo Lugli, S Rojas, …

Materials Advances, Vol.Early Access, pp.1-14

Early Access

2026

: https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ma00336b

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/53952

Iron compounds

Plants (botany)

Ecosystems

Iron (Fe) deficiency represents a major constraint in plant mineral nutrition, adversely influencing agricultural productivity and overall ecosystem sustainability. This work presents the first assessment of metal–organic framework (MOF) MIL-100(Fe), a biodegradable iron(iii) trimesate MOF, as a novel iron source for Arabidopsis thaliana plants cultivated under Fe-deficient conditions. Unlike free iron, which can be quickly degraded into compounds that are not absorbable by plants, MIL-100(Fe) protects the iron incorporated within it, also allowing for a controlled release. To assess the efficacy of MIL-100(Fe) MOFs, plants were grown for ten days in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium under three conditions: (i) complete MS medium with Fe (control), (ii) Fe-deficient MS medium, and (iii) Fe-deficient MS medium supplemented with MIL-100(Fe). Experimental results show that plants treated with MIL-100(Fe) increased 52.5% more in root length (5.6 ± 0.72 cm) compared to Fe-deficient plants (4.1 ± 0.58 cm). Confocal microscopy analysis further confirmed the presence and distribution of MIL-100(Fe) within the plant tissues, indicating their possible uptake and localization in specific compartments. These findings suggest the potential of MIL-100(Fe) nanomaterial as a proof-of-concept application oriented towards the alleviation of Fe deficiency in plants.

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https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ma00336b

: Role of biocompatible metal–organic frameworks as a source of iron for plant growth under iron-deficient conditions
: Ciro Allarà - -, Faculty of Engineering
Manuela Ciocca - Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
M Maver - University of Verona
S Morales-Cámara - Universidad de Granada
P Horcajada - IMDEA Energy Institute
DF Picchi - IMDEA Energy Institute
A van de Meene - The University of Melbourne
A Fournier-Level
Paolo Lugli - Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
S Rojas - Universidad de Granada
Tanja Mimmo - Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Luisa Petti - Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
: Materials Advances, Vol.Early Access, pp.1-14
: 2633-5409
: 2633-5409
: Early Access
: Royal Society of Chemistry
: 14
: (UNIBZ)99720803
991007421801701241
: WOS:001867138800001
: 2-s2.0-105049557533
: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.
: Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences
Competence Centre for Plant Health
Faculty of Engineering
Competence Centre for Mountain Innovation Ecosystems
: English
: Journal article
: Allará C, Ciocca M, Maver M, Morales-Cámara S, Horcajada P, Picchi DF, van de Meene A, Fournier-Level A, Lugli P, Rojas S, Mimmo T, Petti L