Publication result detail

Magnetic Hydrogel Microrobots as Insecticide Carriers for In Vivo Insect Pest Control in Plants

HORMIGOS, R.; MAYORGA-MARTINEZ, C.; PUMERA, M.

Original Title

Magnetic Hydrogel Microrobots as Insecticide Carriers for In Vivo Insect Pest Control in Plants

English Title

Magnetic Hydrogel Microrobots as Insecticide Carriers for In Vivo Insect Pest Control in Plants

Type

WoS Article

Original Abstract

The cost of insect pests to human society exceeds USD70 billion per year worldwide in goods, livestock, and healthcare services. Therefore, pesticides are needed to prevent insect damage despite the secondary effects of these chemical agents on non-target organisms. Chemicals encapsulation into carriers is a promising strategy to improve their specificity. Hydrogel-based microrobots show enormous potential as chemical carriers. Herein, hydrogel chitosan magnetic microrobots encapsulating ethyl parathion (EP)-CHI@Fe3O4 are used to efficiently kill mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor). The mechanism takes advantage of pH-responsive chitosan degradation at Tenebrio molitor midgut pH to efficiently deliver pesticide into the mealworm intestinal tract in just 2 h. It is observed that under a transversal rotating magnetic field, mealworm populations show higher mortality after 30 min compared to free pesticide. This example of active pesticide carriers based on soft microrobots opens new avenues for microrobots applications in the agrochemical field as active chemical carriers.

English abstract

The cost of insect pests to human society exceeds USD70 billion per year worldwide in goods, livestock, and healthcare services. Therefore, pesticides are needed to prevent insect damage despite the secondary effects of these chemical agents on non-target organisms. Chemicals encapsulation into carriers is a promising strategy to improve their specificity. Hydrogel-based microrobots show enormous potential as chemical carriers. Herein, hydrogel chitosan magnetic microrobots encapsulating ethyl parathion (EP)-CHI@Fe3O4 are used to efficiently kill mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor). The mechanism takes advantage of pH-responsive chitosan degradation at Tenebrio molitor midgut pH to efficiently deliver pesticide into the mealworm intestinal tract in just 2 h. It is observed that under a transversal rotating magnetic field, mealworm populations show higher mortality after 30 min compared to free pesticide. This example of active pesticide carriers based on soft microrobots opens new avenues for microrobots applications in the agrochemical field as active chemical carriers.

Keywords

chemicals delivery; hydrogel; magnetic-driven; nano; microrobots; pesticides

Key words in English

chemicals delivery; hydrogel; magnetic-driven; nano; microrobots; pesticides

Authors

HORMIGOS, R.; MAYORGA-MARTINEZ, C.; PUMERA, M.

RIV year

2024

Released

20.12.2023

Publisher

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH

Location

WEINHEIM

ISBN

1613-6829

Periodical

Small

Volume

19

Number

51

State

Federal Republic of Germany

Pages count

8

URL

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202204887

BibTex

@article{BUT182387,
  author="Roberto Maria {Hormigos} and Carmen C. {Mayorga-Martinez} and Martin {Pumera}",
  title="Magnetic Hydrogel Microrobots as Insecticide Carriers for In Vivo Insect Pest Control in Plants",
  journal="Small",
  year="2023",
  volume="19",
  number="51",
  pages="8",
  doi="10.1002/smll.202204887",
  issn="1613-6810",
  url="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202204887"
}