Engineered silica nanomaterials in pesticide delivery: Challenges and perspectives

Over the past decade, nanopesticide has been developed rapidly for exploring effective and safe alternatives to conventional pesticides with significant drawbacks and risks. Many nanotechnologies, including pesticide nanoemulsions, polymer-based nanopesticides, and metal/metal oxide nanoparticle-based pesticides have emerged and are extensively reviewed. Engineered silica nanomaterials (ESNs) have also shown promising potential as carriers in nanopesticides for modern agriculture. However, there are limited reviews specifically on ESN-based nanopesticides. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review on the recent progress of ESN-based nanopesticide technologies. An introduction of synthetic technology, formation mechanism, and surface engineering technology is firstly presented. Then, the advantages of ESN-based pesticide formulation and their structure-function-relationship are illustrated in detail. Finally, our perspectives on challenges and future research in ESN-based nanopesticide development are discussed.

Automated summary

In the past decade, nanopesticides have been rapidly developed as effective and safe alternatives to conventional pesticides. Various nanotechnologies, such as pesticide nanoemulsions, polymer-based nanopesticides, and metal/metal oxide nanoparticle-based pesticides, have been extensively reviewed. Engineered silica nanomaterials (ESNs) have shown promising potential as carriers in nanopesticides for modern agriculture. However, there is limited research specifically on ESN-based nanopesticides. This comprehensive review provides an introduction to synthetic technology, formation mechanism, and surface engineering technology. The advantages of ESN-based pesticide formulation and their structure-function relationship are discussed in detail. Moreover, the challenges and future research in ESN-based nanopesticide development are also discussed.