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Agrochemicals remain essential for controlling pests, pathogens, and weeds, particularly under increasing pressure from resistance, climate change, and water scarcity. At the same time, efficient nutrient management is necessary to sustain crop productivity. The inefficient application of agrochemicals and nutrients may lead to excessive dosing, soil accumulation, leaching, volatilization, and contamination of aquatic ecosystems. In this context, nanotechnology offers promising tools for protecting active compounds, regulating their release, and improving their retention at the target site. Among the available materials, calcium phosphates (CaPs) are particularly attractive because of their biocompatibility, high surface area, and pH-responsive solubility. In addition, CaPs provide calcium and phosphorus, two essential plant nutrients, while their gradual dissolution under acidic soil or rhizosphere conditions may promote sustained nutrient release and better synchronization with plant demand. [1]
Nevertheless, the efficient loading of agrochemicals into these carriers remains a major challenge. Many active compounds exhibit poor aqueous solubility, which limits their incorporation. Conventional approaches often rely on carrier functionalization, surface modification, post-synthetic adsorption, or the use of organic solvents. However, these procedures increase production complexity, compromise carrier integrity, and usually raise environmental and industrial concerns. [1]
Building on our experience in crystal engineering, our research line addresses this limitation by designing salts/cocrystals containing agrochemicals and carefully selected coformers. These materials are crystalline solids that exhibit crystal structures and physicochemical properties that differ from those of the individual components while preserving their covalent molecular structures, thus retaining the activity of the molecules. [2] In particular, cocrystal formation can be used to modulate aqueous solubility and dissolution behaviour, thereby increasing the availability of agrochemicals under aqueous conditions and facilitating their loading in the CaPs nanocarriers.
The integration of crystal engineering with CaP nanotechnology therefore offers a versatile route to improve in situ loading, avoid hazardous organic solvents, and develop multifunctional nanocarriers for the sustained delivery of both crop-protection agents and essential plant nutrients.
References:
[1] Changcheng An, Changjiao Sun, Ningjun Li, et al. “Nanomaterials and nanotechnology for the delivery of agrochemicals: strategies towards sustainable agriculture”. Journal of Nanobiotechnology. 2022; 20, 11. DOI: 10.1186/s12951-021-01214-7
[2] Yuntian Xiao , Chuanhua Wu , Pingping Cui, et al. “Pursuing Green and Efficient Agriculture from Molecular Assembly: A Review of Solid-State Forms on Agrochemicals”. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2023; 71, 10500-10524. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01084
| Giovane Ricercatore (under 40) | Yes |
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