Metal–Organic Frameworks as Potential Agents for Extraction and Delivery of Pesticides and Agrochemicals

Abstract

Pesticide contamination is a global issue, affecting nearly 44% of the global farming population, and disproportionately affecting farmers and agricultural workers in developing countries. Despite this, global pesticide usage is on the rise, with the growing demand of global food production with increasing population. Different types of porous materials, such as carbon and zeolites, have been explored for the remediation of pesticides from the environment. However, there are some limitations with these materials, especially due to lack of functional groups and relatively modest surface areas. In this regard, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) provide us with a better alternative to conventionally used porous materials due to their versatile and highly porous structure. Recently, a number of MOFs have been studied for the extraction of pesticides from the environment as well as for targeted and controlled release of agrochemicals. Different types of pesticides and conditions have been investigated, and MOFs have proved their potential in agricultural applications. In this review, the latest studies on delivery and extraction of pesticides using MOFs are systematically reviewed, along with some recent studies on greener ways of pest control through the slow release of chemical compounds from MOF composites. Finally, we present our insights into the key issues concerning the development and translational applications of using MOFs for targeted delivery and pesticide control.

Multifunctional Metal–Organic Framework (MOF)-Based Nanoplatforms for Crop Protection and Growth Promotion

“…Even though some reviews related to MOF-based nanoplatforms in the agriculture field have been reported, − in this review, we mainly focus on the progress of MOF-based nanoplatforms for crop protection, including phytopathogen, pest, and weed control and crop growth promotion, including fertilizer/plant hormone delivery (Scheme ). The principal design, mechanisms, effectiveness, and advantages of MOF-based nanoplatforms in crop protection and growth promotion are emphasized through systematically investigating the representative research work.…”

Exploring Various Photochemical Processes in Optical Sensing of Pesticides by Luminescent Nanomaterials: A Concise Discussion on Challenges and Recent Advancements

“…Besides UCNPs, another important member of this class are MOFs. MOFs are extremely familiar due to some salient features like huge active sites on their surface, rich surface area to volume ratio, amusing topology, variety in shape and size of the pores of the materials, etc. − Naturally, MOFs have been successfully envisaged in the optical detection of pesticides with the unprecedented bonus of smoothness in usage and extremely low optimum incubation time and dosage value . Unsurprisingly, MOFs have been accurately involved in monitoring food safety.…”

Biodegradable Polymer‐Metal‐Organic Framework (MOF) Composites for Controlled and Sustainable Pesticide Delivery

“…[ 13c ] MOFs have proven to be excellent candidates for agricultural applications, particularly due to their high loading capacity, and controlled release over a longer period. [ 16,17 ] The first study using MOFs for slow release of agrochemicals was reported in 2015, for the controlled release of N and P fertilizers. [ 15c ] Demonstrating their potential application in pesticide delivery, Yaghi et al reported a controlled release of fumigant cis ‐1,3‐dichloropropene using two calcium L‐lactate MOFs, MOF‐1203, and MOF‐1201 in 2017.…”