Graphene Materials as New Contact Nanopesticides: Revealing Key Parameters on Their Insecticidal Activity for Stored Product Insects
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(Published version)
Date
2024
Authors
Lampiri, E.
Yap, P.L.
Athanassiou, C.G.
Losic, D.
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Chemosphere, 2024; 364:143200-1-143200-13
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Evagelia Lampiri, Pei Lay Yap, Panagiotis Berillis, Christos G. Athanassiou, Dusan Losic
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Abstract
The overuse and reliance on pesticides has caused insects to develop resistance with global concerns. To address this problem extensive research is directed to find new and sustainable alternatives using chemical-free and resistance-free solutions for pest control. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the insecticidal properties of several types of industrially produced graphene powder materials such as graphene and graphene oxide (GO) with micro- and nano size and different structural and chemical properties as new contact nanopesticides against three major stored grain insects: the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.), the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.)˙ and the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus Horn. Bioassays were performed using different concentrations, i.e., 0, 100, 500 and 1000 ppm of graphene powders on the mortality of selected adult insects recorded after 3, 7, 14, and 21 days of exposure and progeny production after 65 days. Results showed that graphene oxide (GO) has no insecticidal efficacy while graphene powders with nano-size particles showed significantly enhanced insecticidal performance compared to micron-size graphene powders. The observed insecticidal effects are explained by the higher probability that nano-sized graphene particles adhere on the insect body compared to large particles. The mortality is proposed as the result of physical mode of action of attached graphene nanoparticles causing stronger interruption of the protective cuticle layer, gas respiratory functions and faster mortality. The findings of this study revealed that it is important to select graphene materials with optimal structural and interfacial properties to achieve the highest insecticidal performance in potential development of a new generation of sustainable insecticides.
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© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).