US 12,433,292 B2
Method of production of controlled release silica nanoparticles for plant growth and/or defense enhancement
Fabienne Schwab, Fribourg (CH); and Mattia Maceroni, Geneva (CH)
Assigned to Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Fribourg (CH)
Appl. No. 17/602,492
Filed by ADOLPHE MERKLE INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF FRIBOURG, Fribourg (CH)
PCT Filed Apr. 16, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/060765
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 8, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/212526, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 22, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/835,030, filed on Apr. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0202009 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. A01N 25/28 (2006.01); A01N 59/00 (2006.01); A01P 21/00 (2006.01); C01B 33/141 (2006.01)
CPC A01N 25/28 (2013.01) [A01N 59/00 (2013.01); A01P 21/00 (2021.08); C01B 33/141 (2013.01); C01P 2004/04 (2013.01); C01P 2004/62 (2013.01); C01P 2004/64 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A one-pot method for producing controlled release silica-based nanoparticles for plant defense and growth enhancement, comprising the steps of:
forming a predominantly amorphous, hydroxylated, round or substantially round silica-based core during a process that includes precipitation, wherein the core (domain A) has a first release rate under a release condition; and
enriching the core with silica-containing mono- and/or oligomers (domain B) in nanodomains formed during the precipitation process in the core, and/or coating the silica-containing mono- and/or oligomers on the surface of the nanoparticles, the silica-containing mono- and/or oligomers having a faster second release rate, under the release condition, that is faster than the first release rate, thereby producing the nanoparticles,
wherein the silica-containing mono and/or oligomers (domain B) is associated with the core (domain A) without the use of a fixant,
wherein the silica-containing mono- and/or oligomers are present a) in an amount from about 1 to about 70 wt. % based on the total weight of the nanoparticles and/or b) at a ratio of 1:10 to 10:1, mono- and/or oligomers: core, and
wherein the nanoparticles have a particle size that ranges from about 1 to about 500 nm in diameter measured by transmission electron microscopy.