THE SYNTHESIS OF CHITOSAN DERIVATIVES AS A VERSATILE TOOL IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Loading...
Date
2023-08-13
Authors
Renad Jalal Yahya Hamed
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
An - Najah National University
Abstract
Agro-fertilizers and pesticide chemicals are identified as primary agricultural and environmental pollutants. Chitosan polymer has attracted interest in agriculture and plant sciences applications; therefore, in this current research, considerable scientific contributions are ongoing to improve the formulation and functionalization of chitosan polymer.
This research focuses on the utilization of chitosan in the synthesis of innovative nano bio-fertilizer capsules, aiming to deliver active agro nutrients, namely Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium ions (NPK), along with beneficial plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) microorganisms. These entrapped components are coated using innovative cross-linking of chitosan and alginate with humic acid through ionic gelation and polyelectrolyte complexation technique. The morphological and structural characteristics of the formulated nano capsules are investigated using DLS, FT-IR, SEM, and TGA. The entrapped materials' encapsulation capability, water retention behavior, and release kinetics are also determined. The findings provide insights into implementing nano bio-fertilizers to deliver agro-nutrients, efficiently contributing to agricultural productivity and sustainability.
On the other hand, the functionalization of chitosan with photocatalyst materials has emerged as a promising approach to developing bio pesticides. This research focuses on the functionalization of chitosan with three different photocatalyst materials: ZnO, carbon nano dots (CNDs), and a hybrid of (CNDs/ZnO), and their potential role as active antimicrobial agents against a broad spectrum of bacterial and fungal strains under dark and sunlight conditions. Functionalized chitosan photocatalyst materials' resulting morphological, structural, and optical properties were examined using FT-IR, AFM, XRD, RAMAN, and UV-Vis instruments. The findings provide insight into the ability to utilize these synthesized as bio-pesticides for agriculture purposes.
Finally, the potential of functionalizing chitosan with amino acids as PGPRs and plant bio-stimulant products was also determined. A PGPR precursor named 1- amino cyclopropane-1- carboxylic acid (ACC) was synthesized and functionalized with chitosan. Also, different amino acids (L- Valine, L- Tryptophan, and L- Lysine) functionalized chitosan were synthesized using new approaches. The structural characteristics were also determined using FT-IR and NMR instruments. The plant agronomic and physiological parameters associated with these materials were examined. The findings provide insight into using these bio-stimulant products in agricultural applications.