Preparation and applications of controlled release systems based on intercalated atrazine salt and polymeric atrazine salt onto montmorillonite clay

Controlled release for crop and wood protection: Recent progress toward sustainable and safe nanostructured biocidal systems

We review biocide delivery systems (BDS), which are designed to deter or control harmful organisms that damage agricultural crops, forests and forest products. This is a timely topic, given the growing socio-economical concerns that have motivated major developments in sustainable BDS. Associated designs aim at improving or replacing traditional systems, which often consist of biocides with extreme behavior as far as their solubility in water. This includes those that compromise or pollute soil and water (highly soluble or volatile biocides) or those that present low bioavailability (poorly soluble biocides). Major breakthroughs are sought to mitigate or eliminate consequential environmental and health impacts in agriculture and silviculture. Here, we consider the most important BDS vehicles or carriers, their synthesis, the environmental impact of their constituents and interactions with the active components together with the factors that affect their rates of release such as environmental factors and interaction of BDS with the crops or forest products. We put in perspective the state-of-the-art nanostructured carriers for controlled release, which need to address many of the challenges that exist in the application of BDS.

Hybrid collagen-based hydrogels with embedded montmorillonite nanoparticles

Montmorillonite nanoparticles have been physically incorporated within a crosslinked collagen/poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) network in order to adjust the properties of the stimuli-responsive hybrid systems. The research underlines both the influence of hydrogel composition and nanoparticle type on hybrid hydrogel properties. The dispersion of the montmorillonite nanoparticles in polymeric matrix have been visualized by SEM, TEM and AFM techniques and quantitatively and qualitatively estimated using near infrared chemical imaging. The electrical charge of the nanoparticles influenced the polymeric chain arrangement and the pore size. The morphologies of the nanoparticulated layers are partially exfoliated or intercalated and uniformly dispersed through the polymeric semi-interpenetrated network based on collagen and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide). The hybrid hydrogels exhibit pseudoplastic behavior and the addition of nanoparticles has resulted in the increase of the complex viscosity. The adhesion capacity was affected mainly by the presence of organically modified montmorillonites.

Kinetics of metribuzin release from bentonite-polymer composites in water

A series of bentonite polymer-composites (BPCs) loaded with metribuzin were studied for their controlled release in aqueous medium. The release of active ingredient from BPCs was significantly lower as compared to commercial metribuzin formulation. The results revealed that the cumulative metribuzin release was highest (81%) from the BPCs containing 8% clay (commercial bentonite) and 2% metribuzin which correspond to the lowest (14 days) half-life values i.e., time required for 50% release of active ingredient (t1/2). The metribuzin release from the BPCs decreased with increased concentration of clays in polymer matrix and the release was further decreased with BPCs prepared with pure nano-bentonite. BPCs containing 12% clay and 2% metribuzin showed maximum t1/2 values i.e., 25 and 51 days for commercial bentonite and pure nano-bentonite as clay sources, respectively. The differential behaviour in the metribuzin release rates from BPCs was ascribed due to variations in crosslinking of metribuzin in the composites. As metribuzin release was found to be slower in BPCs compared to commercial formulation, it could be used for control of weeds tailored to different crops.