A pH/cellulase dual stimuli-responsive cellulose-coated metal–organic framework for eco-friendly fungicide delivery

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2023-04, Vol.462, p.142190, Article 142190
• Main Authors: Ma, Yingjian, Yu, Meng, Wang, Yinmin, Pan, Shouhe, Sun, Xuelin, Zhao, Rui, Sun, Zhe, Gao, Rui, Guo, Xinyu, Xu, Yong, Wu, Xuemin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antifungal activity; Biosafety; Cellulose; Controlled-release pesticide; Dual stimuli-responsive; MOF
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.142190

[Display omitted] •A controlled-release pesticide formulation PYR@UiO-66@HPC was successfully fabricated by encapsulating PYR within a metal–organic framework and coating with HPC.•Release experiments demonstrated that PYR@UiO-66@HPC exhibits pH/cellulase dual stimuli-responsive behavior for the intelligent delivery of pyraclostrobin.•The PYR@UiO-66@HPC exhibited an excellent fungicidal activity and a low toxicity toward non-target organisms.•The PYR@UiO-66@HPC did not affect the normal growth of the target rice crop and it had a low impact on the soil microbial community. Smart pesticides that respond to environmental stimuli can achieve the on-demand release of pesticides to control pests and diseases, thereby reducing the amount of pesticides used, and reducing the risk to the environment. In this study, a pH/cellulase dual stimuli-responsive controlled-release pesticide formulation (PYR@UiO-66@HPC) was successfully fabricated by encapsulating pyraclostrobin (PYR) and coating hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) within a metal–organic framework (MOF, i.e., UiO-66). The obtained results demonstrated that PYR@UiO-66@HPC exhibited an excellent PYR release behavior in response to acidic and cellulase environments similar to the environment at the time of Rhizoctonia solani infestation. In addition, PYR@UiO-66@HPC exhibited a higher fungicidal activity than commercial microencapsulated formulations, and biosafety tests showed that PYR@UiO-66@HPC had less effect on non-target organisms, especially on Daphnia magna, with a toxicity of 4.6 times lower than that of PYR-TC after 48 h. Furthermore, it did not affect the normal growth of the target rice crop and had a low impact on the soil microbial community. Finally, cytotoxicity assays showed that PYR@UiO-66@HPC had little effect on cell proliferation and apoptosis in LO2 cells compared with the free PYR, thereby indicating a superior biocompatibility and an improved human safety profile. This study therefore provides a smart, eco-friendly, and sustainable strategy for the effective control of plant diseases.