The effect of swellable carboxymethyl cellulose coating on the physicochemical stability and release profile of a zinc hydroxide nitrate-sodium dodecylsulphate-imidacloprid

The environmental pollution that results from the excessive usage of pesticides has been threatening the communities for decades. In this study, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is proposed as a coating agent to encapsulate zinc hydroxide nitrate-sodium dodecylsulphate-imidacloprid (ZHN-SDS-IC) for the implementation of controlled release formulation (CRF) in pesticide. The physicochemical properties of the ZHN-SDS-IC-CMC were characterised so that their crystallinity, thermal behaviour and surface morphology could be examined. The findings from the release study revealed the potential for CMC to prolong the release of imidacloprid (IC). A strong hygroscopic and adequate swelling characteristic enabled the CMC to develop an external gel layer on the surface of the ZHN-SDS-IC-CMC that acted as an additional barrier and slowed the release of the intercalated IC. The ZHN-SDS-IC-CMC that was synthesised can contribute to overcoming the environmental issues due to excessive usage of pesticides and can create a better future for the community.

Automated summary

The study suggests that using carboxymethyl cellulose as a coating agent can extend the release of imidacloprid, reducing environmental pollution caused by excessive pesticide usage. The synthesized ZHN-SDS-IC-CMC has strong hygroscopic and swelling characteristics which enable the formation of a gel layer to slow down the release of imidacloprid.