Malays. J. Anal. Sci. Volume 29 Number 4 (2025): 1478

 

Research Article

 

Optimising dazomet fungicide loading in calcium-based metal-organic frameworks: A solvent screening approach using high-performance liquid chromatography

 

Nurul Farhana Ahmad Aljafree1,2, Umar Abd Aziz1, Mohamad Firdaus Ahmad3, Adila Jaafar4, Norhayu Asib3, and Mohd Basyaruddin Abdul Rahman1,2*

 

1Foundry of Reticular Materials for Sustainability, Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

3Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

4Centre of Foundation Studies for Agricultural Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: basya@upm.edu.my

 

Received: 12 February 2025; Revised: 11 June 2025; Accepted: 18 June 2025; Published: 22 August 2025

 

Abstract

Fungicides are essential for plants to combat plant pathogens that cause severe diseases, leading to significant yield losses and quality deterioration. Since the majority of fungicide active ingredients are unstable, inert additives like organic solvents must be used to create stable formulations for agrochemical products. To address this challenge, calcium L‑lactate framework (MOF-1201) was synthesised using the solvothermal method. Powder X-ray diffraction confirmed that the framework exhibited a pattern similar to the simulated MOF-1201. The field emission scanning electron microscopy image showed that MOF-1201 displayed a rod-like morphology with a size range between 60.1 and 72.1 μm. In addition, MOF-1201 exhibited high thermal stability up to 400 °C. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC) of the dazomet fungicide with different solvent concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The highest EE and LC values of dazomet were observed when ethanol was used as the solvent. MOF-1201 retained its crystallinity even after the incorporation of dazomet in its framework. In conclusion, the loading of dazomet fungicide strongly depends on solvent properties, highlighting the importance of solvent selection in optimising fungicide delivery systems.

 

Keywords: MOF-1201, stability, encapsulation, crystallinity, fungicide

 

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