TASTYGEL: sustainable release of nutrients by smart micro- and nanogels based on polyetheramines-bisepoxide for Agriculture purposes

• Grant number: 21/06552-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants - Phase 2
• Start date: March 01, 2022
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Ferreira Molina
• Grantee: Eduardo Ferreira Molina
• Host Institution: Reitoria. Universidade de Franca (UNIFRAN). Franca , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Achintya Nayan Bezbaruah ; Hudson Wallace Pereira de Carvalho ; Lílian Karla de Oliveira ; Robert Saxon Brueggeman
• Associated research grant: 13/20455-2 - Nanostructured organic-inorganic hybrids for controlled lignans release with pharmacological potential, AP.JP
• Associated research grant(s): 24/19077-8 - BRIDGES - Sustainable development of agriculture using nanofertilizers based on amine-epoxide structured gels embedded with molybdenum clusters., AP.R SPRINT; 24/01903-9 - Computational Study of Nutrient Release through Smart Micro and Nanogels for Agricultural Purposes, AP.R; 21/14619-9 - Multi-user Equipment approved in grant 2021/06552-1: equipment DLS/zeta potential, AP.EMU
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/16617-1 - Micronutrient Slow Release from PPO-polyetheramine-epoxide nanogels, BP.IC; 24/16077-7 - Study of polyetheramine-tannic acid complexes as potential systems for foliar nutrition., BP.IC; 24/00908-7 - Controlled release of zinc by polymeric nanogels for plant nutrition, BP.IC; 22/13408-7 - Micro- and nanogel based on polyetheramine-bisepoxide as new carrier for controlled release of plant micronutrients, BP.DD; 22/06507-9 - Micronutrient simultaneous release from nanogels based on polyetheramines and bisepoxide, BP.PD

Abstract

This FAPESP research project (young investigator JP-phase 2) will be developed by a multidisciplinary team with a principal investigator and four associate researchers (one of these researchers is from NDSU - North Dakota State University, USA, one is from WSU - Washington State University, USA, and two are from universities in Brazil) as well as undergraduate and graduate students. The current project will allow the expansion of the research area created in the young investigator FAPESP-Phase 1 grant, supporting the development of the topic addressed, in this case, the use of materials as controlled release systems. In addition, the inclusion of associate researchers from international universities will be of extremely important for I) the development and discussion of the project results; II) internationalization of the postgraduate program of the UNIFRAN; and III) expansion of the researcher's network of the leader researcher. In this project, we propose to develop micro- and nanogels (from commercially available reagents) based on aliphatic polyetheramines and bisepoxide for agricultural purposes. In particular, the use of these gels for controlled release of nutrients, i.e., Zn, Co, Mn, Ni, Cu and Mo for germination. The gels will be generated by a facile one-pot process through aggregation polymerization of an in situ formed polymer. Moreover, this metodology will allow us to fine-size-tuning the gel particles from the nanometer to the micron scale and control the water absorbed into the gels simply by adjsuting the monomer concentration and nature - hydrophilic/hydrophobic. Modulating the profile and release kinetics of the nutrients from these gels will involve their understanding both from the conceptual point of view and will lead to the development new multifunctional materials for agricultural uses. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ANDRADA, HEBER E.; FICO, BRUNO A.; ALVES, FELIPE B.; PAULINO, JULIA M.; SILVEIRA, NATALIA N.; DOS SANTOS, RAQUEL A.; MONTANHA, GABRIEL S.; NUEVO, LAURA G.; DE CARVALHO, HUDSON W. P.; MOLINA, EDUARDO F.. Multifunctional polyetheramine-epoxide gels and their prospective applications in health and agriculture. NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, v. 48, n. 2, p. 9-pg., 2023-12-04. (21/06552-1, 20/07721-9, 22/06507-9, 21/14619-9)

ALVES, FELIPE B.; ANDRADA, HEBER E.; FICO, BRUNO A.; REINALDI, JULIA S.; TAVARES, DENISE C.; SQUARISI, IARA S.; MONTANHA, GABRIEL SGARBIERO; NUEVO, LAURA G.; DE CARVALHO, HUDSON W. P.; PEREZ, CARLOS A.; et al. Facilitating Seed Iron Uptake through Amine-Epoxide Microgels: A Novel Approach to Enhance Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Germination. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, v. 72, n. 26, p. 11-pg., 2024-06-18. (22/13408-7, 22/06507-9, 21/14619-9, 21/06552-1, 20/07721-9)

ALVES, FELIPE B.; GONI, ADELA S. M.; FICO, BRUNO A.; SILVA, VANESSA S. A.; ORENHA, RENATO P.; PARREIRA, RENATO L. T.; ANDRADA, HEBER E.; MONTANHA, GABRIEL SGARBIERO; DA SILVA, HIGOR J. F. A.; DE ALMEIDA, EDUARDO; et al. Nano-Enabled Seed Treatment Using Bisepoxide-Polyoxypropylenetriamine Polymeric Gel with Different Embedded Zinc Sources. GELS, v. 11, n. 3, p. 19-pg., 2025-02-26. (21/06552-1, 22/13408-7, 21/14619-9, 24/01903-9, 18/03793-5, 23/09543-9, 24/11041-4, 22/06507-9, 20/07721-9)

PEDROZA, GABRIELE A.; MACEDO, LUCIA H. G. M. C.; DE OLIVEIRA, RICARDO; SILVEIRA, NATALIA N.; ORENHA, RENATO P.; PARREIRA, RENATO L. T.; DOS SANTOS, RAQUEL A.; MOLARD, YANN; AMELA-CORTES, MARIA; MOLINA, EDUARDO F.. Cost-efficient polyurea carrier for precise control of an anti-inflammatory drug loading and release. JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, v. 76, p. 9-pg., 2022-08-31. (21/06552-1, 17/50286-9)

FICO, BRUNO A.; ANDRADA, HEBER E.; ALVES, FELIPE B.; DA SILVA, ENZO E.; REINALDI, JULIA S.; TAVARES, DENISE C.; SQUARISI, IARA S.; NUEVO, LAURA G.; MONTANHA, GABRIEL SGARBIERO; DE CARVALHO, HUDSON W. P.; et al. Amine-Polyether-Epoxide Nanoplatform-Driven Seed Germination, Plant Growth, and Nutrient Uptake for Sustainable Agriculture. ACS OMEGA, v. 10, n. 12, p. 14-pg., 2025-03-20. (21/06552-1, 22/13408-7, 21/14619-9, 22/06507-9, 20/07721-9)

CALVO, PABLO DEL CAMPO; DE OLIVEIRA, LILIAN KARLA; DE OLIVEIRA, NICOLE APARECIDA AMORIM; MOLINA, EDUARDO FERREIRA. Polyurea membrane for water cleaning: Kinetic and equilibrium modeling of dyes adsorption. KOREAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, v. N/A, p. 8-pg., 2023-09-02. (21/06552-1)

VARGAS, JULIA G.; ANDRADA, HEBER E.; FICO, BRUNO A.; PAULINO, JULIA M.; SILVEIRA, NATALIA N.; DOS SANTOS, RAQUEL A.; MOLINA, EDUARDO F.. Influence of Polyether Backbone PEO-PPO on the Drug Release Behavior of Polyurea Xerogels. FUTURE PHARMACOLOGY, v. 3, n. 2, p. 14-pg., 2023-06-01. (21/06552-1, 22/06507-9)