Making the Complicated Simple:A Minimizing Carrier Strategy on Innovative Nanopesticides

The flourishing progress in nanotechnology offers boundless opportunities for agriculture,particularly in the realm of nanopesticides research and development.However,concerns have been raised regarding the human and environmental safety issues stemming from the unrestrained use of non-therapeutic nanomaterials in nanopesticides.It is also important to consider whether the current development strategy of nanopesticides based on nanocarriers can strike a balance between investment and return,and if the complex material composition genuinely improves the efficiency,safety,and circularity of nanopesticides.Herein,we introduced the concept of nanopesticides with minimizing carriers(NMC)prepared through prodrug design and molecular self-assembly emerging as practical tools to address the current limitations,and compared it with nanopesticides employing non-therapeutic nanomaterials as carriers(NNC).We further summarized the current development strategy of NMC and examined potential challenges in its preparation,performance,and production.Overall,we asserted that the development of NMC systems can serve as the innovative driving force catalyzing a green and efficient revolution in nanopesticides,offering a way out of the current predicament.

Nanopesticides and Nanofertilizers and Agricultural Development: Scopes, Advances and Applications

Excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture in order to increase yields has proved unnecessary because a large part of them remain unused and have negative effects on the environment and human health. Therefore, it is a great challenge for farmers to replace the application of pesticides and fertilizers with nanopesticides and nanofertilizers, with the aim of reducing the use of mineral fertilizers and increasing yields, as well as supporting agricultural development. This review provides a detailed overview of the classification of pesticides, commonly used nanoparticles in agriculture and their function, as well as impact of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers on the environment. The application of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers and new delivery mechanisms to improve crop productivity are reviewed and described. Particularly, the advantage of the nanoencapsulation process is emphasized for both pesticides and fertilizers. For hydrophobic pesticides, it may be a tool to provide greater stability, dispersion in aqueous media, and allowing a controlled release of the active compound, which increases its effectiveness. In nanofertilizers, micro- or macronutrients can be encapsulated by nanomaterials which allow to release of nutrients into the soil gradually and in a controlled way maintaining soil fertility, thus preventing eutrophication and pollution of water resources. Risks assessment of application of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers in agriculture are required for their correct and safe application.

Scenario-oriented nanopesticides:Shaping nanopesticides for future agriculture

Nanopesticides,as a promising technology,bring scientific and technological impetus to sustainable development and green revolution of agriculture.The excellent physicochemical properties,beneficial biological effects,and functional potential of nanopesticides have significantly contributed to improving utilization rates of pesticides,enhancing pest and disease management,and alleviating stresses.However,agricultural production and plant cultivation are diverse,leading to a wide range of application scenarios for pesticides.These application scenarios put forward more precise requirements and numerous innovative opportunities for the development of nanopesticides.Scenario-oriented nanopesticides are customized for various application scenarios and methods,aligning with the principles of economical,efficient,and sustainable future agriculture.This article outlines the development status of nanopesticides and then reviews the research progress of scenario-oriented nanopesticides,encompassing nine major application scenarios.Finally,the development priorities and prospects of scenariooriented nanopesticides are summarized,offering innovative concepts for advancement of nanopesticides.

Applications of nanomaterials in mosquito vector control:A review

The periodic outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever,zika fever,and yellow fever all over the world highlights the need for effective mosquito control methods targeting the biological system.Due to the lack of therapeutic measures,preventive treatments or vaccines against pathogens,insecticide resistance eventually lead the research focus towards novel technological applications in mosquito management.Nanomaterials with ovicidal,larvicidal,adulticidal,and repellent properties for controlling mosquito vectors are under research.A literature search was carried out for advancements in nanomaterials,insecticides,and mosquito control in PubMed/MEDLINE,Scopus,Google Scholar,ScienceDirect,and Web of Science.This paper aims to provide insights into various nanomaterials relevant to mosquito-borne diseases,in vivo and in vitro toxicity evaluation against mosquito species,mode of action,effect on non-target organisms,and ecological risks.Organic and inorganic materials that provide controlled release,target delivery,less dosage,prolonged efficacy,a reduction in the use of organic solvents and emulsifiers,and minimum pollution to the environment have already been explored.Indeed,further research on the ecological risk and economic feasibility of nanomaterials in mosquitocidal applications should be done prior to commercialization.

Reducing pesticide use:Synthesis and application of ROS-SPC as an efficient nanocarrier and scavenger of reactive oxygen species in plants

There is an increasing need to reduce the use of pesticides to reduce their potential threat to food/environmental safety.At the same time,an increase in reactive oxygen species(ROS)induced by abiotic stresses in plants can lead to an increase in ROS in the plant and affect yield.In this paper,ROS-SPC was synthesised by two reactions and used as an efficient pesticide nanocarrier/adjuvant and scavenger of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in plants.By hydrophobic interaction,ROS-SPC spontaneously conjugated tofluazinam with a pesticide loading capacity(PLC)of 15.1%.Afterfluazinam was conjugated to ROS-SPC,the particle size offluazinam was reduced from 64.70 nm reduced to 19.82 nm,and the contact angle of pesticide droplets on plant leaves was significantly reduced from 59.44°to 26.76°.ROS-SPC as a carrier was tested to inhibit phytopathogenic fungi by 200%more than conventional delivery methods.In addition,we also learned that ROS-SPC with endocytosis capability can indeed remove reactive oxygen species from plants.Tests using HUVEC cells showed that ROS-SPC has low cytotoxicity within a reasonable range of applications,and ROS-SPC was tested to have low toxicity to pollinating bees.

A timing self-cleaning nanoherbicide:Design of triple-structure nanovectors for weed control and pesticide residues treatment

Pesticide residues treatment is a crucial issue for both agricultural production and environmental protection.In recent years,designing self-cleaning nanoformulations has emerged as a promising strategy for reducing pesticide residues in a convenient and cost-effective manner.However,traditional physical blending methods of photodegradation reagents with nanocarriers have limitations in terms of pesticide residue degradation efficiency and active ingredient efficacy.Here,a new type of timing self-cleaning nanoherbicide dicamba@mSiO_(2)/ATA/TiO_(2)with a triple structure was fabricated.Dicamba,a widely used herbicide that was attracting increasing concern over its high efficiency and broad spectrum,was selected as the model herbicide and loaded on the mSiO_(2)shell.In the stage of pesticide release,the TiO_(2)and dicamba were separated by the timing-barrier.Therefore,the efficacy of dicamba was not affected by the photocatalyst.During the release process,the ATA layer continuously absorbed the reactive oxygen species(ROS)produced by TiO_(2)and was gradually degraded.Finally,the barrier was destroyed,and the residual dicamba in the carrier was degraded by TiO_(2).Compared with the traditional physical blending method,this triple structure avoided the degradation of active ingredients by photocatalysts during the pesticide release period.The experimental results suggested that this nanoformulation improved the efficacy of the herbicide,and reduced the pesticide residues,providing a new approach for self-cleaning nanopesticides research.

Bismuth selenide nanosheet layer materials with peroxidase activity for antimicrobial applications

A new type of bismuth selenide nanosheet layer material was synthesized by solvent thermal method,which is harmless to human body and can be used in combination with hydrogen peroxide solution as a new type of modern insecticide.The particle size of the bismuth selenide nanosheet material is about 80 nm,and it has good dispersion in water.In this experiment,the antibacterial ability of the material was investigated using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as bacterial models and plant pathogens such as strawberry gray mold and tomato gray mold as fungal models.In addition,the in vivo bioassay indicated that Bi_(2)Se_(3)tH_(2)O_(2)possessed effective control against Pepper Anthrax Disease.The biocompatibility of this material was also investigated using human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)as a model,and the results showed that the bismuth selenide nanosheet material has good antibacterial ability and biocompatibility.

Recent advances in stimuli-response mechanisms of nano-enabled controlled-release fertilizers and pesticides

Nanotechnology-enabled fertilizers and pesticides,especially those capable of releasing plant nutrients or pesticide active ingredients(AIs)in a controlled manner,can effectively enhance crop nutrition and protection while minimizing the environmental impacts of agricultural activities.Herein,we review the fundamentals and recent advances in nanofertilizers and nanopesticides with controlled-release properties,enabled by nanocarriers responsive to environmental and biological stimuli,including pH change,temperature,light,redox conditions,and the presence of enzymes.For pH-responsive nanocarriers,pH change can induce structural changes or degradation of the nanocarriers or cleave the bonding between nutrients/pesticide AIs and the nanocarriers.Similarly,temperature response typically involves structural changes in nanocarriers,and higher temperatures can accelerate the release by diffusion promoting or bond breaking.Photothermal materials enable responses to infrared light,and photolabile moieties(e.g.,o-nitrobenzyl and azobenzene)are required for achieving ultraviolet light responses.Redox-responsive nanocarriers contain disulfide bonds or ferric iron,whereas enzyme-responsive nanocarriers typically contain the enzyme’s substrate as a building block.For fabricating nanofertilizers,pHresponsive nanocarriers have been well explored,but only a few studies have reported temperature-and enzyme-responsive nanocarriers.In comparison,there have been more reports on nanopesticides,which are responsive to a range of stimuli,including many with dual-or triple-responsiveness.Nano-enabled controlledrelease fertilizers and pesticides show tremendous potential for enhancing the utilization efficiency of nutrients and pesticide AIs.However,to expand their practical applications,future research should focus on optimizing their performance under realistic conditions,lowering costs,and addressing regulatory and public concerns over environmental and safety risks.