Designing MOF-based green nanomaterials for enhanced pathogen resistance and pesticide degradation in tomato plants

Abstract

Over the past few years, nanotechnology and nanomaterials have played a crucial role in the agriculture sector. Notably, among different types of nanomaterials, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted significant attention owing to their porosity, organic composition, biocompatibility, and tailored structural and compositional properties. In this research work, we have effectively prepared four types of MOFs including ZIF-8, ZIF-67, PFC 6, and PFC-7. Interestingly, among all the prepared MOFs, ZIF-67 exhibited exceptional performance. With the aim to further improve the efficacy of ZIF-67, we decorated it with SnO₂. Among the as-prepared samples, the optimal sample 5SnO₂/ZIF-67 nanocomposite exhibited exceptional efficiency in terms of its high chemical and thermal stability, large surface area, selective antipathogenic activities, high catalytic activities, and disease resistance properties. Based on our various characterization techniques, such as XRD, DRS, PL, FS, BET, FT-IR, and RAMAN, it has been confirmed that the incorporation of SnO₂ into ZIF-67 leads to adjustments in band gaps, enhanced stability, modulated photo-electrons, large surface area, abundant active sites, and upgraded adsorption and selectivity for antipathogenic and pesticide degradation activities. As compared to pure ZIF-67, the most active sample 5SnO₂@ZIF-67 showed ∼4.5 and ∼2.6 times significant improvement for glyphosate (GLY) and acephate (ACPH) degradation, respectively. Remarkably, our prepared samples also offered potent performances against various pathogens in Luria–Bertani medium. Based on the scavenger tests, ·OH and O₂⁻ are respectively responsible for GLY and ACPH decomposition. Accordingly, the activity improvement mechanism and biochemical pathways are proposed. Finally, our novel research work will provide a gateway for the fabrication of MOF-based green nanomaterials that will unlock a wide range of opportunities and applications in antipathogenic and pesticide degradation activities and tomato plant growth.