Quantitative evaluation of triboelectric phenomena in biological models: a study of the biophysical mechanisms responsible for the insecticidal effect of nanomaterials

STADLER, T.; PEREZ, M. D.; GITTO, J. G.

Biocell

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2016 vol. 40 p. 11 - 11

QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF TRIBOELECTRIC PHENOMENA IN BIOLOGICAL MODELS: A STUDY OF THE BIOPHYSICAL MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INSECTICIDAL EFFECT OF NANOMATERIALS Gitto JG1, Perez MD1, Stadler T 2 1Laboratorio de Electrostática y Materiales Dieléctricos (UTN-FRM) Mendoza, Argentina. 2Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental (IMBECU-CONICET) Mendoza, Argentina. E-mail:jgitto@frm.utn.edu.ar Nanotechnology involves science and engineering on the nanometer scale, generally less than or of order 100nm. It involves the design, synthesis, and processing of nanoscale structures for engineering applications. In some cases this can entail the assembly of materials one molecule or even one atom at a time. At these small length scales, materials often display novel behavior that can be exploited technologically. Nanomaterials also display enhanced mechanical, optical, magnetic, and chemical properties that offer a wide variety of technological uses. Recently nanotechnology has also become extremely important in the area of biotechnology, allowing for the study of the science and engineering of biological materials for a variety of medical applications. Agriculture has also benefited significantly from nanotech-based materials in terms of sustainable food production by reducing the environmental impact of agricultural practices throughout nanoencapsulation of fertilizers and herbicides. Moreover, nanotechnology is a new frontier for the design and development of alternative insecticidal products, which instead of acting through biochemical-toxicological mechanisms, perform through physical phenomena. The development of this new generation of insecticides is based on information acquired by ultra-sensitive electronic measurements of the electric charge of nanoparticles and of the insect body surface. These electronic measurement techniques are the starting point for the design of novel nanoinsecticides for pest management with low impact on human and environmental health.