# 3D-Printed Hydrogel Nanoplatforms for Sustainable Pest Control: Encapsulated Essential Oils as Biopesticides against Bemisia tabaci

## TL;DR

This paper introduces 3D-printed hydrogels containing essential oils that attract pests, offering a sustainable alternative to harmful synthetic pesticides.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the development of 3D-printed hydrogel nanoplatforms with encapsulated essential oils for sustainable pest control.

## Key findings

- Nanoparticles showed >99% encapsulation efficiency and remained stable for over 60 days.
- Pectin-based hydrogel prototypes attracted over 50% of Bemisia tabaci pests.
- The hydrogels demonstrated good mechanical stability and homogeneous structures.

## Abstract

The overuse of synthetic pesticides has raised significant
concerns
owing to their adverse environmental and health effects, fostering
interest in sustainable alternatives for pest management. Essential
oils have emerged as attractive biopesticide candidates because they
offer eco-friendly insect control solutions. In this study, we developed
3D-printed hydrogel prototypes that combined sodium alginate, pectin,
and Pluronic F127 with slow-release systems of geraniol and eugenol
encapsulated in zein nanoparticles. The nanoparticles exhibited high
encapsulation efficiency (>99%), with an average diameter of 318
±
28 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.41 ± 0.05, and a zeta potential
of 29 ± 2 mV, and remained stable for over 60 days. The printed
hydrogel prototypes exhibited homogeneous structures and good mechanical
stability. Biological assays with Bemisia tabaci revealed a significant attraction effect, particularly for the pectin-based
prototypes, with attraction rates exceeding 50%. These findings demonstrate
the potential of nanoencapsulated essential oils in 3D-printed devices
as efficient attractants, contributing to the development of sustainable
tools for integrated pest management programs.