Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Herbicides with Reduced Risks to the Environment

The side effects caused by some pesticides with high off-target movement have brought great risks to the environment and human health. Here, taking 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) as a model herbicide to reduce its volatilization and leaching, a supramolecular self-assembly mediated by branched polyethylenimine (B-PEI) was constructed through noncovalent molecular recognition. The results showed that 2,4-D/B-PEI nanoparticles (NPs) with a mean particle size of 168 nm can be formed by electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic effect, and π-π stacking when the mass ratio of 2,4-D to B-PEI with the average molecular weight of 10 000 (B-PEI 10k) was 40:20, and their generation was not susceptible to common inorganic ions such as Ca²⁺, Na⁺, Cl^-, and SO₄^2-. Compared with 2,4-D, the self-assembled NPs with improved physicochemical properties including strong positive charges (+58.2 mV), reduced volatilization rate (2.50%), low surface tension (56.10 mN m^-1), and decreased leaching potential could minimize the adverse impacts of this herbicide on the environment. The biological activity experiments in the greenhouse and field demonstrated that the control efficacy of NPs without using any surfactant against weeds was almost the same as that of the 2,4-D sodium salt form containing Tween 80. The safety tests showed that the self-assembled NPs had the same genotoxicity as 2,4-D to Vicia faba and little effect on the soil enzyme activities. Overall, the development of self-assembled herbicidal nanoformulations with desirable physicochemical properties and low risks to the environment would have potential application in agricultural production.