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Review
. 2020 Aug 17;10(8):1608.
doi: 10.3390/nano10081608.

Synthesis and Technology of Nanoemulsion-Based Pesticide Formulation

Isshadiba Faikah Mustafa  1 , Mohd Zobir Hussein  1
Affiliations
Review

Synthesis and Technology of Nanoemulsion-Based Pesticide Formulation

Isshadiba Faikah Mustafa et al. Nanomaterials (Basel). .

Abstract

Declines in crop yield due to pests and diseases require the development of safe, green and eco-friendly pesticide formulations. A major problem faced by the agricultural industry is the use of conventional agrochemicals that contribute broad-spectrum effects towards the environment and organisms. As a result of this issue, researchers are currently developing various pesticide formulations using different nanotechnology approaches. The progress and opportunities in developing nanoemulsions as carriers for plant protection or nanodelivery systems for agrochemicals in agricultural practice have been the subject of intense research. New unique chemical and biologic properties have resulted in a promising pesticide nanoformulations for crop protection. These innovations-particularly the nanoemulsion-based agrochemicals-are capable of enhancing the solubility of active ingredients, improving agrochemical bioavailability, and improving stability and wettability properties during the application, thus resulting in better efficacy for pest control and treatment. All of these-together with various preparation methods towards a greener and environmentally friendly agrochemicals-are also discussed and summarized in this review.

Keywords: agriculture; agrochemical; nanoemulsion; pesticide; properties.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Composition of the micelle, liposome and nanoemulsion droplet (micelles with a hydrophobic core which is formed by the tails of the surfactant molecules. Liposomes with an aqueous core surrounded by a double phospholipid layer. Nanoemulsions droplets with a hydrophobic liquid core composed of the oil that is dispersed in the water and stabilized by a surfactant monolayer) Reproduced with permission from [14].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic diagram showing a comparison between the high and the low-energy method, in which the former requires a specific device to break macroemulsion into nanoemulsion compared to the low-energy method, in which the energy is gained through the interaction of the components during the emulsification process.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Increase of nanoemulsion droplet size due to instability phenomenon as a function of storage time.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic representation of the antimicrobial activity test using the agar diffusion method.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic diagram showing the penetration of nanoemulsion-based agrochemicals through the leaves surface, insect cuticles and fungal body.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Flow diagram showing the fabrication of nanoemulsion–based pesticide formulations that have improved the physicochemical and biologic activities.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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