Biochar-Enhanced Sulfur: Mechanistic Insights into a Novel and Effective Bactericide
The development of green, efficient, and stable pesticides for controlling agricultural pathogens remains a critical research focus. Elemental sulfur, although widely used for its bactericidal and insecticidal properties, suffers from aggregation, poor dispersibility, and limited contact with target...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/9/697 |
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| author | Yuanqi Peng Lezhu Su Meng Liu Chen Zeng Bo Xiang Zhuoyao Xie Zijing Hu Nan Zhou |
| author_facet | Yuanqi Peng Lezhu Su Meng Liu Chen Zeng Bo Xiang Zhuoyao Xie Zijing Hu Nan Zhou |
| author_sort | Yuanqi Peng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The development of green, efficient, and stable pesticides for controlling agricultural pathogens remains a critical research focus. Elemental sulfur, although widely used for its bactericidal and insecticidal properties, suffers from aggregation, poor dispersibility, and limited contact with target organisms, restricting its effectiveness. In this study, we synthesized a novel biochar–sulfur composite by combining sustainable biochar with sulfur at low temperatures. The resulting material exhibited enhanced dispersibility and a five-fold increase in bactericidal efficacy compared to sulfur alone, as demonstrated in tests against <i>R. solanacearum</i> and <i>E. coli</i>. Additionally, the composite maintained 80% efficacy after five cycles of use, highlighting its favorable cyclic performance. Mechanistic studies revealed that biochar accelerates sulfur’s redox reaction, generating free radicals that drive efficient bactericidal action. This work provides a simple and sustainable approach for developing sulfur-based antimicrobial pesticides, offering new opportunities for sulfur utilization in agriculture. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3762b1946c8b4843b5f2805d9971fc5b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj-art-3762b1946c8b4843b5f2805d9971fc5b2025-08-20T02:31:20ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912025-05-0115969710.3390/nano15090697Biochar-Enhanced Sulfur: Mechanistic Insights into a Novel and Effective BactericideYuanqi Peng0Lezhu Su1Meng Liu2Chen Zeng3Bo Xiang4Zhuoyao Xie5Zijing Hu6Nan Zhou7Hunan Engineering Research Center for Biochar, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaHunan Engineering Research Center for Biochar, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaHunan Engineering Research Center for Biochar, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaHunan Engineering Research Center for Biochar, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaHunan Engineering Research Center for Biochar, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaHunan Engineering Research Center for Biochar, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaHunan Engineering Research Center for Biochar, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaHunan Engineering Research Center for Biochar, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaThe development of green, efficient, and stable pesticides for controlling agricultural pathogens remains a critical research focus. Elemental sulfur, although widely used for its bactericidal and insecticidal properties, suffers from aggregation, poor dispersibility, and limited contact with target organisms, restricting its effectiveness. In this study, we synthesized a novel biochar–sulfur composite by combining sustainable biochar with sulfur at low temperatures. The resulting material exhibited enhanced dispersibility and a five-fold increase in bactericidal efficacy compared to sulfur alone, as demonstrated in tests against <i>R. solanacearum</i> and <i>E. coli</i>. Additionally, the composite maintained 80% efficacy after five cycles of use, highlighting its favorable cyclic performance. Mechanistic studies revealed that biochar accelerates sulfur’s redox reaction, generating free radicals that drive efficient bactericidal action. This work provides a simple and sustainable approach for developing sulfur-based antimicrobial pesticides, offering new opportunities for sulfur utilization in agriculture.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/9/697new pesticidessulfurbiocharantibacterialredox reaction |
| spellingShingle | Yuanqi Peng Lezhu Su Meng Liu Chen Zeng Bo Xiang Zhuoyao Xie Zijing Hu Nan Zhou Biochar-Enhanced Sulfur: Mechanistic Insights into a Novel and Effective Bactericide Nanomaterials new pesticides sulfur biochar antibacterial redox reaction |
| title | Biochar-Enhanced Sulfur: Mechanistic Insights into a Novel and Effective Bactericide |
| title_full | Biochar-Enhanced Sulfur: Mechanistic Insights into a Novel and Effective Bactericide |
| title_fullStr | Biochar-Enhanced Sulfur: Mechanistic Insights into a Novel and Effective Bactericide |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biochar-Enhanced Sulfur: Mechanistic Insights into a Novel and Effective Bactericide |
| title_short | Biochar-Enhanced Sulfur: Mechanistic Insights into a Novel and Effective Bactericide |
| title_sort | biochar enhanced sulfur mechanistic insights into a novel and effective bactericide |
| topic | new pesticides sulfur biochar antibacterial redox reaction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/9/697 |
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