Nano- and Microstructured Systems for Controlled Release of Agricultural Inputs: Innovations for Efficiency and Sustainability Aline Rombega Tito Rosa, Renato Farias do Valle Jr., Marcos Vinicius da Silva, Hugo Felix Perini, Carlo José Freire Oliveira, et al. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2025 Nano and microstructured systems for the controlled release of agricultural inputs represent a significant advancement in sustainable agriculture. These technologies enable the encapsulation of nutrients and pesticides, ensuring gradual and targeted delivery while reducing waste and enhancing plant absorption. Biodegradable materials, such as chitosan and alginate, offer eco-friendly solutions that improve efficiency under challenging conditions, including salinity and drought. Recent innovations have led to increased crop productivity, reduced pesticide application, and improved soil remediation. For example, nanoparticles can adsorb heavy metals like cadmium and lead, facilitating the restoration of contaminated soils. Despite these benefits, challenges remain, including the need for clear regulatory frameworks and further research on the long-term ecological impacts of nanomaterials. This review highlights the critical role of nano and microstructured systems in advancing agricultural sustainability. By bridging technological innovation with practical applications, these systems have the potential to transform global farming, making it more efficient, resilient, and environmentally sustainable.
Preparation and Characterization of Blends with Small Amounts of Polyaniline and Polypyrrole Mixed with ABS Copolymer Matrix Bianca Tainá Ferreira, Thamires Mariano, Gabriel Badagnani de Carvalho, Daniel Pasquini, Rondinele Alberto dos Reis Ferreira, et al. Orbital, 2024 In this study, ABS copolymers were blended with doped polyaniline (PAni) and undoped polypyrrole (PPy) at concentrations of up to 2.5 % by weight. This allowed to understand how the mechanical and electrical resistivity properties of the ABS copolymer were affected by small quantities of these polymers. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that even with the smallest amounts of PAni or PPy added, significant morphological changes occur. The contact angle values revealed that there is a different limit in the addition of PAni or PPy to maximize the dispersive component effect. Mechanical analysis of the composites indicated that the addition of 0.625 % and 1.25 % PPy produced the highest values of Toughness, 3.87 MJ m-3 and 3.89 MJ m-3, respectively. The stress at rupture varied from 57 to 61 MPa for ABS-PAni composites and from 25 to 61 MPa for ABS-PPy composites. In addition, the strain at break of ABS-PAni composites ranged from 4 to 7 %, while that of ABS-PPy composites varied from 5 to 12 %. Both ABS-PAni and ABS-PPy composites did not reveal significant changes by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Finally, the electrical conductivity (σ) of the composites increased six and eleven-fold, respectively, upon the addition of 2.5 % of doped PAni or undoped PPy, which were considered significant changes.
Development of Agrowaste and Cellulose-based Composite Filters and Their Application in Fast Removal of Metallic Cations from Water Pedro Eduardo Costa, Altamiro Xavier De Souza, Gabriel Badagnani De Carvalho, Daniel Pasquini, Marcelo Firmino de Oliveira, et al. Orbital, 2024 Low-cost lignocellulosic filters were made from soybean hulls (SH), sugarcane bagasse fibers (SBF), cellulose nanofibers (CNF), and Kraft-bleached pulp (BP) as renewable feedstocks and applied in Cu (II) and Cd (II) removal from aqueous medium. Filtration was performed with a vacuum pump; filtration times ranged from 3 to 1200 seconds. For the same filter, the best permeate flow was 13,333 L.h.m-2 for both cations. The best Cd (II) removal (77.2 %) was achieved within 7 seconds at a permeate flow of 5,714 L.h.m-2. The same filter was also the best at removing Cu (II) (46.5 %), which was achieved within 7 seconds at a permeate flow of 5,714 L.h.m-2, as well. This short time evidenced that a long contact time is not needed to achieve higher removal. The best filter was made of BP, CNF, and SH. The presence of SBF and SH increased the contact angle and decreased the solid free energy surface. By FTIR-ATR it was possible to verify with which groups present in the chemical structures of the filter components the Cd (II) and Cu (II) cations interacted best. These results demonstrate the potential use of lignocellulosic biomass for producing composites aimed at water decontamination.
Polysulfone with Different Degrees of Sulfonation: Simple Method with Acetyl Sulfate Altamiro Xavier de Souza, Paulo Donato Frighetto, Gabriel Badagnani de Carvalho, Henrique De Castro Degiovani, Marcelo Firmino de Oliveira, et al. Orbital, 2024 In this work, the authors present as an innovation, the homogeneous sulfonation of Udel® polysulfone (PSU) with acetylsulfate (ACS) under reflux at 45°C in dichloromethane and inert N2 atmosphere (g) for 1.5 h. Different proportions of ACS were used, obtaining sulfonated products with varying degrees of sulfonation (DS). Confirmation of sulfonated polysulfone (PSU-S), denominated as PSU-SA (high degree of sulfonation) and PSU-SB (low degree of sulfonation), was carried out by FTIR and 1H NMR. Determination of DS was carried out through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DSC), varying indexes between 0.883 and 3.022, which correspond to a sulfonated polymer with ion exchange capacity (IEC) from 1.720 to 4.400 meq/g. The evolution of DS related to methods used was monitored and confirmed by 1H NRM. Sulfonation is undertaken to enhance the suitability of this polymer for future applications in the production of biofuels, targeting its utilization in catalytic processes for esterification and transesterification mechanisms of oils and fats.
