Stimuli-responsive materials afford
researchers an opportunity
to synthesize controlled-release carriers with various potential applications,
especially for reducing the abuse of chemical reagents in farmland
soil. To enhance the efficiency of agrochemical utilization, redox-
and enzyme-responsive macrospheres were prepared by self-assembling
β-cyclodextrin-modified zeolite and ferrocenecarboxylic acid
(FcA)-grafted carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Scanning electron microscopy
and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis revealed that pores
of zeolite were sealed by the surface coupling of FcA-modified CMC
via the formation of an inclusion complex. Salicylic acid (SA) was
loaded as a model agrochemical. The release of SA from macrospheres
could be triggered in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (oxidant)
and cellulase (enzyme); and the corresponding release percentages,
85.2 and 80.4%, were much higher than those of the control sample
without responsive groups in water (12.6%) after 12 h. A release kinetic
study showed that cellulase could promote carrier dissolution more
effectively than the oxidant. The results demonstrate that the dual-responsive
macrospheres are promising as a smart and effective carrier for the
controlled release of agrochemicals.
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