TiO₂/Biochar with Light-Switchable Wettability as a Herbicide Safener and Foliar Fertilizer Adhesive

Abstract

A light-switchable herbicide nanosafener (LHNS) was fabricated using TiO 2 , biochar (BC), and hydrogen silicone oil (HSO). Here, BC was used as a carrier for TiO 2 to form a rough micro−nanocomposite TiO 2 /BC, which was then modified by HSO to obtain LHNS with high hydrophobicity. After being sprinkled on crop leaves, the LHNS could endow leaves with a hydrophobic surface and decrease the adhesion of glyphosate (Gly) and the adverse effects on crops. Under ultraviolet (UV) light, many • OH groups were generated, which was attributed to the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 . The • OH could decompose HSO on the TiO 2 surface and introduce a number of −OH groups and adsorbed water on the LHNS surface, yielding a product named hydrophilic LHNS (HL-LHNS). HL-LHNS could be used as an adhesive to improve the adhesion of foliar fertilizer. Under infrared (IR) light, the amount of water adsorbed by HL-LHNS decreased because of the photothermal effect of BC, forming a product named hydrophobic LHNS (HB-LHNS). Therefore, this work provides a promising approach to reduce the adverse effects of herbicides and enhance the utilization efficiency of foliar fertilizer, which may have potential application prospects.

Effect of Nano-TiO2 Composite on the Fertilization and Fruit-Setting of Litchi

“…The leaf surface fertilizer may be washed away in the rain. nTiO 2 ’s adhesion makes it less likely to be washed away by rain after washing [ 73 ]. It also enabled the monomers to adhere well to the uniformly sized gravels modified by the radiation technique, resulting in a more uniform distribution and less agglomeration.…”

In situconstruction of a magnesium foliar fertilizer with pH-controlled release and high adhesion capacity

“…Zebrafish are 87% genetically homologous to humans, making them an excellent model organism, and have been used in a wide variety of studies as a target for biotoxicity research. [50][51][52][53][54][55][56] In this study, we evaluated the biological safety of the PMFF by studying the survival rate of red zebrafish in PMFF solutions with different concentrations (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 g L −1 ). The survival status of red zebrafish in different solutions is shown in Fig.…”

Smart Bionic Surfaces with Switchable Wettability and Applications

“…Moreover, to meet the Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations (Zero Hunger, Clean Water and Sanitation), it is necessary to improve the ability of crops to resist the climate and increase the utilization rate of fertilizers and pesticide [167,168] . Gao et al fabricated a switchable Light-Responsive Herbicide Nanosafener (LHNS) by using TiO 2 , biochar (BC) and hydrogen silicone oil, which provided a promising method for reducing the adverse effects of herbicides and improving the efficiency of foliar fertilizer utilization (Fig 15a) [169] . Adjusted by ultraviolet light, the hydrophobic surface changed into hydrophilic surface because of the presence of TiO 2 , thereby increasing the adhesion of urea and promoting the growth of crops.…”

“…Fig. 15 (a) The light-responsive smart surface used for herbicide safener or foliar fertilizer adhesive, hydrophilic LHNS can improved the adhesion of foliar fertilizer; hydrophobic LHNS can prevent the adsorption of the amount of water and used as a glycine safener [169] . (b) The smart surface upon temperature for PCR detection, the hydrophilic surface of PVCL at 25 ˚C prevent the PCR pass over in "OFF" state, while the switched hydrophobic surface at 40 ˚C upgrade PCR oxidation in "ON" state [170] .…”