Dual stimuli-responsive carbon dioxide based polymer nanoparticles for smart pesticide delivery controlled by temperature and glutathione.

Stimuli-responsive pesticide delivery systems play a crucial role in enhancing pesticide utilization efficiency while minimizing environmental pollution. In this study, a novel poly(propylene oxide-co‑carbon dioxide-co-allyl glycidyl ether)-S-S-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PPAG-SS-PNIPAM) was developed for controlled pesticide delivery. The PPAG-SS-PNIPAM could self-assemble into uniform nanoparticles with an average size of 156.2 nm in aqueous solution. Using avermectin (AVE) as a model herbicide, we demonstrated the system's potential as a controlled-release pesticide platform (AVE@PPAG-SS-PNIPAM), which exhibited an average diameter of 171.2 nm and zeta potential of -17.5 mV. The drug loading content of the drug-loaded micelles is 33.86 %, and the encapsulation efficiency is 76.63 %. The release profile showed sustained AVE release under neutral conditions, while rapid release was triggered by glutathione and elevated temperature in simulated insect environments. This dual-responsive behavior enables targeted pest control, significantly improving pesticide utilization efficiency. Therefore, the temperature/glutathione dual responsive nanopesticide system enables targeted pest control while establishing an efficient nano-delivery platform for sustainable agricultural applications.