Mineral and carbon-based carriers, coordination gates and multiple stimuli for the stability, release and retention of pesticides and nutrients.
The research question
Between application and biological action, active ingredients encounter storage, leaf wetting, environmental exposure and biological interfaces. Light, rainfall and pH affect their stability and transport. These studies use carrier pores, coatings and surface interactions to coordinate protection, release and retention, with biological effects evaluated under defined conditions.
Research approach
Build carriers around active ingredients, coatings and coordination structures.
Regulate release, leaf adhesion and retention under washing.
Evaluate effects under defined biological and environmental conditions.
Materials and methods
Mineral and carbon-based carriers: mesoporous silica, halloysite, attapulgite, carbon dots and calcium carbonate.
Responsive structures: coordination gates, hydrogel coatings and responses to pH, temperature, light and magnetic fields.
Interfacial evaluation: release kinetics, wetting, adhesion, retention under washing and UV protection.
Application studies: pesticide delivery, nutrient supply, material recovery and control of environmental loss.
Carbon dot-stabilized and coordination-gated nanocarriers enable rainfast foliar iron delivery
Guopeng Teng, et al.
Carbon, 2027, 261, 122020
Published online in 2026; assigned to a 2027 issue.
Mesoporous silica co-loads ferrous ions and carbon dots, while an outer tannic-acid/iron gate combines iron stabilization, pH-responsive transport and foliar retention.
Question: How can foliar iron be stabilized and retained under rainfall?
Design and findings: Mesoporous silica co-loads ferrous ions and carbon dots, while an outer tannic-acid/iron gate combines iron stabilization, pH-responsive transport and foliar retention.
Scope: The findings concern iron stability, release and leaf interactions under the tested conditions, rather than demonstrated performance across all crops and climates.
Bioinspired prussian blue nanopesticides with triple-stimuli-responsive gates for ecology-adaptive pest management
Guopeng Teng, et al.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2025, 386, 114162
Prussian-blue nanoparticles and PNIPAM nanohydrogel gates form an abamectin platform responding to alkaline conditions, temperature and near-infrared light.
Question: How can a pesticide carrier respond to temperature, light and pH?
Design and findings: Prussian-blue nanoparticles and PNIPAM nanohydrogel gates form an abamectin platform responding to alkaline conditions, temperature and near-infrared light.
Scope: Release and insect-control results are specific to the reported experimental conditions.
Spherical Assembly of Halloysite Clay Nanotubes as a General Reservoir of Hydrophobic Pesticides for pH‐Responsive Management of Pests and Weeds
Guopeng Teng, et al.
Small, 2024, 20(40), 2402921
EDTA–calcium coordination assembles halloysite nanotubes into porous microspheres for abamectin or prometryn delivery, with responsive release, leaf affinity and UV protection.
Question: How can natural clay nanotubes form responsive reservoirs for hydrophobic pesticides?
Design and findings: EDTA–calcium coordination assembles halloysite nanotubes into porous microspheres for abamectin or prometryn delivery, with responsive release, leaf affinity and UV protection.
Scope: Abamectin and prometryn are evaluated separately; results do not establish universal applicability to every pesticide or crop.
Question: How can carbon dots and calcium carbonate improve abamectin loading, stability and adhesion?
Design and findings: Lysine-derived carbon dots modify calcium carbonate carriers to improve abamectin loading, photostability and foliar adhesion, evaluated in diamondback-moth experiments.
Scope: Formulation and biological outcomes are limited to the tested species, doses and endpoints, and do not establish universal environmental harmlessness.
Recyclable Fe3O4-decorated attapulgite nano-networks with alternating magnetic field response for continuous pest management and iron fertilizer application
Nana Jing, et al.
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025, 504, 158904
Recyclable Fe₃O₄-decorated attapulgite nanonetworks respond to an alternating magnetic field, linking continuous pest management with iron-fertilizer applications.
Question: How can magnetic response connect pest management, recyclability and iron fertilization?
Design and findings: Recyclable Fe₃O₄-decorated attapulgite nanonetworks respond to an alternating magnetic field, linking continuous pest management with iron-fertilizer applications.
Scope: The study concerns responsive pest control and iron-fertilizer applications; recycling-cycle counts, crop-yield gains and industrial deployment are not inferred.
Question: How can changes in surface wetting regulate glyphosate delivery?
Design and findings: Attapulgite-based herbicide particles use a smart-wetting surface and consecutive base–acid stimuli to regulate glyphosate delivery.
Scope: The study concerns glyphosate delivery under sequential base–acid stimuli, without an unconditional environmental-safety guarantee.
