Polydopamine film coated controlled-release multielement compound fertilizer based on mussel-inspired chemistry.

This work reports on a facile and reliable method to prepare a polydopamine film coated controlled-release multielement compound fertilizer (PCMCF) based on mussel-inspired chemistry for the first time. The polydopamine (Pdop) film was coated on double copper potassium pyrophosphate trihydrate, providing three essential nutrients (Cu, K, and P) by spontaneous oxidative polymerization of dopamine. The thickness of the polymer coating of the fertilizer was controlled by using the multistep deposition technique. The morphology and composition of the products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer, a vis spectrophotometer, and a Kjeltec autoanalyzer. The controlled-release behavior of four elements, including nitrogen from Pdop, was evaluated in water and in soil (sterilized or not). The results revealed that the coated fertilizers had good slow-release properties, incubated in either water or soil. It is noted that the release rate of nutrients of PCMCF can be tailored by the thickness of the Pdop coating, and the Pdop coating can be biodegraded in soil. This coating technology will be effective and promising in the research and development of controlled-release fertilizer.

pH-responsive controlled-release fertilizer with water retention via atom transfer radical polymerization of acrylic acid on mussel-inspired initiator.

This work reports a polydopamine-graft-poly(acrylic acid) (Pdop-g-PAA)-coated controlled-release multi-element compound fertilizer with water-retention function by a combination of mussel-inspired chemistry and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) techniques for the first time. The morphology and composition of the products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectrometry. The results revealed that the stimuli-responsive layer formed by a Pdop inner layer and a PAA outer corona exhibit outstanding selective permeability to charged nutrients and the release rate of encapsulated elements can be tailored by the pH values. At low pH, the Pdop-g-PAA layer can reduce nutrient loss, and at high pH, the coating restrains transportation of negative nutrients but favors the release of cations. Moreover, PAA brushes provide good water-retention property. This Pdop-graft-polymer brushes coating will be effective and promising in the research and development of multi-functional controlled-release fertilizer.