Eco-friendly pesticide uses carbon dots for improved pest control

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A team of researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed an innovative green pesticide formulation that promises to enhance pest control while prioritizing safety for both crops and the environment.

"This new colloidal pesticide represents a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional pesticides," said Prof. Wu Zhengyan, who led the research team.

The findings of this study were published in ACS Nano.

Traditional pesticides often face several challenges, including uneven application on plant leaves, susceptibility to washing off in rain, and rapid degradation under sunlight. Additionally, residual chemicals from these formulations can pose environmental risks.

In this study, the team engineered a new pesticide formulation that uses modified carbon dots and calcium carbonate particles as carriers for abamectin. This new formula enhances adhesion to leaves, resists sunlight degradation, and provides a gradual release of the active ingredient for sustained effectiveness.

The success of this new formulation lies in its unique structure. The carbon dots (LysCDs) combined with calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) increase the pesticide's capacity to hold more abamectin—approximately 1.7 to 2.1 times more than conventional formulations. This allows for greater effectiveness while using fewer active ingredients.

When the pesticide contacts the weakly acidic environment on plant leaves, the calcium carbonate breaks down, facilitating a quicker release of the pesticide and enabling easier tracking through the fluorescence emitted by the carbon dots.

This "controlled release" mechanism ensures that the pesticide remains active for longer, even in challenging conditions such as UV light or rain.

In tests conducted on Plutella xylostella (diamondback moth), a common agricultural pest, the new formulation demonstrated excellent pest control both indoors and outdoors. Importantly, it also minimizes environmental impact. Compared to traditional pesticides, this new formulation showed reduced toxicity to non-target organisms, such as zebrafish and earthworms.

Furthermore, once the pesticide has released its active ingredient, the remaining materials decompose into harmless substances like calcium ions (Ca²⁺), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and carbon dots, significantly lowering the risk of pollution.

More information: Chuang Chen et al, Green Carbon Dots/CaCO3/Abamectin Colloidal Pesticide Formulation for Safer and More Effective Pest Management, ACS Nano (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c12707

Journal information: ACS Nano

Provided by Chinese Academy of Sciences