Controlled biocide release from smart delivery systems: materials engineering to tune release rate, biointeractions, and responsiveness

Over the past 70 years, drug delivery systems (DDSs) have contributed to the development of precision medicine by delivering therapeutic molecules in a controlled manner. The literature reports several systems such as micelles, exosomes, liposomes, nanogels, metallic nanoparticles (NPs), polymers and copolymers, microemulsions, and so on, which are useful for medical and pharmaceutical purposes. These materials are used for targeted drug delivery to tissues and organs; for the sensitive detection of key biological molecules; for the more precise and safer imaging of diseased tissues; and for developing novel therapeutics for treating cancer, diabetes, pain, asthma, allergy, infection, and more. Many of these smart systems have aroused great interest in the agricultural sector. Derived from research focusing on the development of DDSs in the biomedical field, controlled release formulations (CRFs) of biocides have been used in the protection of agricultural crops and wood materials. Biocide is a general term describing an active substance used as a disinfectant, antiseptic, or preservative that has an important role in managing pathogens. These substances can deter, render harmless,inhibit the growth of, or kill harmful and unwanted microorganisms such as molds, bacteria, algae, insects, and rodents. Therefore, biocides are used in everyday life to protect, clean, and disinfect and are useful for different applications in a variety of industrials fields such as health care, food, pharmaceutical industries, and agriculture.