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Updated: Jan 16, 2026

Author Spotlight: Development and Challenges of Feeding Assays for Insect Pest Management
Published on: May 26, 2023
Chiral dependence of multifunctional supramolecular materials in crop protection
Min Liu1, Kongjun Liu1,2, Jinghan Yang1
1State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for Research and Development of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.
Abstract:
Chiral pesticides have captivated considerable interest in agriculture, yet the integration of chirality into multifunctional supramolecular materials within this sector remains uncharted. Here, we show the fabrication of chiral AIM-12S/R@β-CD by encapsulating AIM-12S/R within β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), designed to enhance foliar adhesion and biofilm disruption for effective management of rice bacterial blight. Upon assembly in aqueous media, the chiral disparities in foliar affinity and biofilm disruption, initially present in AIM-12S/R, are amplified, as evidenced by a 67° lower contact angle for AIM-12R@β-CD relative to its S-enantiomer, and an 8.5-fold increase in biofilm eradication at 12.5 μg·mL⁻¹. Despite comparable in vitro potency, which often obscures chiral influences on other traits, enantioselective interactions between the enantiomers with leaf surfaces and biofilms dictate the divergence in in planta efficacy. This work provides a demonstration of chiral discrimination in supramolecular agrochemicals, presenting valuable insights into the further deployment of chiral supermolecules in agriculture.
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