Dip-coated rapeseed meal composite as a green carrier for light-induced controlled release of pesticide

In this work, we report the novel fabrication of polymerized octadecylsiloxane (PODS)/4-aminoazobenzene (AAB) coated rapeseed meal (RSM) using a facile one-pot dip-coating method. The as-prepared RSM-PODS/AAB employs RSM as a carrier, the PODS coating endows the material with hydrophobicity, thus improving the loading rate of pinoxaden (Pxd) of RSM-PODS/AAB, and the AAB moieties act as light-driven "stirrers" to stir the release of Pxd. The structure and composition were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. The experimental results indicate that the loading rate of Pxd was increased by 21.38% compared with pristine RSM. More importantly, the Pxd-loaded RSM-PODS/AAB showed perfect UV-visible and sunlight controlled release performance, the excellent biodegradability of RSM effectively supplying the nutrient elements of plant growth in the soil. Overall, this system provides a promising way to improve controlled drug release with UV-visible- and sunlight-responsive behavior.