Sterically stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles enable convenient preparation of suspension concentrates comprising various agrochemical actives

It is well known that sterically stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles can be readily prepared using polymerization-induced self-assembly. Recently, we reported that such nanoparticles can be employed as a dispersant to prepare micron-sized particles of a widely used fungicide (azoxystrobin) via ball milling. In the present study, we examine the effect of varying the nature of the steric stabilizer block, the mean nanoparticle diameter, and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the core-forming block on the particle size and colloidal stability of such azoxystrobin microparticles. In addition, the effect of crosslinking the nanoparticle cores is also investigated. Laser diffraction studies indicated the formation of azoxystrobin microparticles of approximately 2 μm diameter after milling for between 15 and 30 min at 6000 rpm. Diblock copolymer nanoparticles comprising a non-ionic steric stabilizer, rather than a cationic or anionic steric stabilizer, were determined to be more effective dispersants. Furthermore, nanoparticles of up to 51 nm diameter enabled efficient milling and ensured overall suspension concentrate stability. Moreover, crosslinking the nanoparticle cores and adjusting the Tg of the core-forming block had little effect on the milling of azoxystrobin. Finally, we show that this versatile approach is also applicable to five other organic crystalline agrochemicals, namely pinoxaden, cyproconazole, difenoconazole, isopyrazam and tebuconazole. TEM studies confirmed the adsorption of sterically stabilized nanoparticles at the surface of such agrochemical microparticles. The nanoparticles are characterized using TEM, DLS, aqueous electrophoresis and 1H NMR spectroscopy, while the final aqueous’ suspension concentrates comprising microparticles of the above six agrochemical actives are characterized using optical microscopy, laser diffraction and electron microscopy