A series of fourteen porous Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) with different compositions (Fe, Zn, and Zr; carboxylates or imidazolates) and structures have been successfully synthesised at the nanoscale and fully characterised by XRPD, FTIR, TGA, N₂ porosimetry, TEM, DLS and ζ-potential. Their toxicological assessment was performed using two different cell lines: human epithelial cells from foetal cervical carcinoma (HeLa) and murine macrophage cell line (J774). It appears that MOF nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit low cytotoxicity, comparable to those of other commercialised nanoparticulate systems, the less toxic being the Fe carboxylate and the more toxic being the zinc imidazolate NPs. The cytotoxicity values, higher in J774 cells than in HeLa cells, are mainly function of their composition and cell internalisation capacity. Finally, cell uptake of one of the most relevant Fe-MOF-NPs for drug vectorisation has been investigated by confocal microscopy studies, and indicates a faster kinetics of cell penetration within J774 compared to HeLa cells.

A novel biocompatible and bioactive Metal–Organic Framework (BioMOF), named BioMIL-5 (Bioactive Materials from Institut Lavoisier), was hydrothermally synthesized from a Zn²⁺ salt and azelaic acid, both with interesting antibacterial and dermatological properties. Its structure was determined by high resolution X-ray powder diffraction, and further characterized by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and elemental analysis. The determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of BioMIL-5 in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis demonstrated that the antimicrobial activity of the individual components of BioMIL-5 were maintained after its synthesis. Moreover, BioMIL-5 was found to be stable in water and in bacterial culture medium, especially in water, leading to the subsequent progressive release of its active constituents, AzA and Zn²⁺ ions. Interestingly, this slow active delivery allowed control of the growth of a S. epidermidis suspension over 7 days. The high stability of this material and the maintenance of its antibacterial properties make BioMIL-5 a good candidate for future bioapplications, for skin care and in cosmetics.