Biocompatible Molybdenum Complexes Based on Terephthalic Acid and Derived from PET: Synthesis and Characterization

Abstract

Metal-organic molybdenum complexes were synthesized by the hydrothermal method using ammonium heptamolybdate as the metallic source, and as the organic ligand terephthalic acid (BDC) or bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET), obtained via glycolysis of poly(ethylene)terephthalate (PET). The BDC-Mo and BHET-Mo complexes were characterized by XRD, N2 physisorption, TGA, ATR-FTIR, SEM, XPS and their in vitro biocompatibility was tested by porcine fibroblasts viability. The results show that molybdates (MoO4-2) are coordinated to the carbonyl functional groups of BDC and BHET by urea bonding (-NH-CO-NH-) which is related to their high biocompatibility and high thermal stability. These organic molybdate complexes possess rectangular prism particles made up of rods arrays characteristics of molybdenum oxides (MoO3). The organic complexes BDC-Mo and BHET-Mo do not show to be cytotoxic for porcine dermal fibroblasts growing on their surface for up to 48 h of culture.