Electrospinning to prepare water dispersible diniconazole/hydroxypropyl‐γ‐cyclodextrin nanofibers: increased bioavailability of diniconazole

Abstract BACKGROUND Diniconazole (DCZ) is a poorly water‐soluble triazole fungicide. However, the water solubility of DCZ can be significantly enhanced by inclusion complexation with cyclodextrins. In order to improve the properties and bioavailability of pesticide fungicides DCZ, a new system of nanofibers was prepared by electrospinning and cyclodextrin encapsulation. RESULTS The possibility of DCZ entering the hydroxypropyl‐γ‐cyclodextrin (HP‐γ‐CD) cavity was evidenced by molecular simulation and then DCZ/HP‐γ‐CD inclusion complex nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning. The formation of DCZ/HP‐γ‐CD complexes was confirmed by the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H‐NMR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) characterization. Then the physical and antifungal properties of DCZ/HP‐γ‐CD inclusion complex nanofibers were investigated. The results showed that the thermal stability of DCZ/HP‐γ‐CD inclusion complex nanofibers was increased by 32 °C and the water solubility in HP‐γ‐CD solutions was increased by 7.5 times. Through water solubility researches and in vitro release researches, DCZ/HP‐γ‐CD inclusion complex nanofibers could quickly form a transparent solution and had a sustained release function. The antifungal researches showed that the antifungal performance of DCZ/HP‐γ‐CD inclusion complex nanofibers increased by 2.05 times. CONCLUSIONS Based on the new system of DCZ/HP‐γ‐CD inclusion complex nanofibers, the performance of the fungicide DCZ was improved and the bioavailability was improved to comply with the ‘reduction and efficiency’ effect of green chemistry. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.