Topology-Regulated Pesticide Retention on Plant Leaves through Concave Janus Carriers

Abstract

Retention, a crucial process in pesticide application, is heavily affected by the extremely low surface energy and micro/nanostructure of plant leaves. The inadequate retention like bouncing, splashing, and drifting often give rise to severe soil and groundwater pollution. In this article, we present an unprecedented topology-regulation approach that significantly contributes to this issue. A series of pesticide-loaded “hat”-shaped Janus carriers (HJCs) are synthesized via emulsion interfacial polymerization and characterized by scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analyzer, energy-dispersive spectrometer, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Upon spraying on plant leaves, the pesticide-loaded HJCs can embed with the micropapillae and nanosplinters on leaves driven by the “hanger-hat” topology effect, consequently leading to the enhanced retention evaluated by the deposition and flush resistance experiments. Moreover, the release behavior of pesticide-loaded HJCs is found to match the Ritger-Peppas model and finally achieves sustained release. Additionally, the generality of the HJCs synthetic strategy is also studied and applicable to multiple pesticides. This study not only provides a new strategy for increasing pesticide retention on plant leaves but also opens a promising aspect for the applications of Janus carriers in agriculture.