To
reveal the structure and release properties of bentonite-alginate
nanocomposites, bentonite of different amounts was incorporated into
alginate by the sol–gel route. The structure of the composites
was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray
diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis
and related to the swelling property of the matrix and the release
of imidacloprid. Bentonite was subject to exfoliation into nanoplatelets
and combined into the polymeric network within alginate hydrogel,
exhibiting profound effects on the structure features and release
properties of the composites. Bentonite was of good compatibility
with alginate due to the hydrogen bonding and the electrostatic attraction
between them. The polymer chains were found to intercalate into the
interlayer gallery of the clay. The high specific area of the nanoplatelets
of bentonite benefited the intimate contact with alginate and reduced
the permeability of the composites. However, in the composites with
clay content of more than 10%, the polymer was insufficient to accommodate
the silicate sheets completely. The aggregation of the platelets destroyed
the structure integrity of the composites, facilitating the diffusion
of the pesticide. The release of imidacloprid was greatly retarded
by incorporating into bentonite-alginate composites and dominated
by Fickian diffusion depending on the permeability of the matrix.
The time taken for 50% of the active ingredient to be released, T
50, first increased and then decreased with
increasing clay content in the composites, reaching a maximum around
a weight percentage of 10%, at which the T
50 value for imidacloprid release was about 2.5 times that for the
release from pure alginate formulation.