Sustainable Materials and Technologies最新文献

{"title":"A sustainable strategy of plant-derived nanozyme and polysaccharide microneedles for multifunctional therapy of infected wounds","authors":"Peiyuan Li ,&nbsp;Wenlin Zhou ,&nbsp;Qing Guo ,&nbsp;Siyan Liang ,&nbsp;Chumei Liang ,&nbsp;Wei Su","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2026.e01893","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2026.e01893","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of multifunctional wound dressings from sustainable resources is critical to advancing green biomedical materials for effective wound repair. In this study, we present an eco-friendly microneedle delivery platform (LutCe-QCS-GP MN) with integrated reactive oxygen scavenging and antibacterial functions. The system features a sustainable nanozyme (LutCe), formed by self-assembly of the plant-derived flavonoid luteolin and cerium ions, which exhibits robust superoxide dismutase-like activity. These LutCe nanozymes organic-inorganic hybrids were synthesized through a green assembly process and demonstrate potent scavenging capability against superoxide anions, hydroxyl radicals, and reactive nitrogen species. Incorporated into the tips of the microneedles, they directly alleviate oxidative stress at the wound site. Simultaneously, an antimicrobial polysaccharide-based matrix provides effective defense against wound pathogens, preventing infection and secondary tissue damage. By synergistically combining sustainable antioxidant nanozymes with natural antibacterial components, the LutCe-QCS-GP MN system significantly reduced oxidative stress and bacterial load in wounds, markedly accelerating the healing process. Comprehensive in vitro and in vivo safety evaluations support the biosafety of the platform, underscoring its potential for clinical translation. This work not only introduces a promising therapeutic strategy for wound management but also highlights the valorization of natural, sustainable resources in functional material design, offering a meaningful reference for green technology applications in biomedicine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01893"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioinspired hierarchical FBN@Ni@MWCNTs architectures for synergistic ultra-broadband microwave absorption coupled with efficient thermal conduction, corrosion resistance and environmental robustness","authors":"Zhen Lv ,&nbsp;Zhongyang Duan ,&nbsp;Xiangshuo Xing ,&nbsp;Chunlong Yue ,&nbsp;Shuang Liu ,&nbsp;Di Yin ,&nbsp;Yufeng Bai ,&nbsp;Tai Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2026.e01856","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2026.e01856","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hierarchical and bioinspired FNNC composites were synthesized by anchoring Ni nanoparticles onto FBN platelets, followed by polydopamine coating and subsequent integration with MWCNTs under controlled calcination. This approach enabled the construction of a multidimensional network in which FBN provided a stable dielectric framework and abundant defect-dipole sites, Ni nanoparticles introduced magnetic loss and interfacial polarization, and the PDA/MWCNTs interphase established continuous conduction pathways with enhanced coupling. Benefiting from this architecture, FNNC10–400 demonstrated outstanding multifunctional properties. The composite achieved a minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of −73.58 dB at 11.72 GHz with a thickness of 2.08 mm, together with an ultra-wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 10.05 GHz, surpassing most advanced microwave-absorbing materials (MAMs). Remarkable radar cross-section suppression was realized, reaching −37.02 dB·m² and maintaining values below −10 dB·m² across wide incident angles, including reductions of −27.00 and − 26.67 dB·m² at 0° and 30°, respectively. Beyond electromagnetic performance, FNNC10–400/UV-CR composites with 14 wt% loading exhibited a thermal conductivity (TC) of 0.869 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, corresponding to a 247.6 % enhancement compared with pristine UV-CR (0.25 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹). Electrochemical analysis confirmed excellent anticorrosion properties, while the bioinspired design provided robust interfacial adhesion and environmental robustness. These findings establish FNNC composites as a multifunctional platform with significant promise for electromagnetic protection and thermal management under complex environments. In particular, their unique combination of broadband microwave absorption (MA), high TC, and corrosion resistance highlights their potential for emerging applications in subsea data centers and underwater data exchangers, where efficient MA, heat dissipation, and durability are critically required.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01856"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning models for predicting the compressive strength of sustainable recycled aggregate concrete incorporating supplementary cementitious materials","authors":"Xuyong Chen ,&nbsp;Nuo Chen ,&nbsp;Shukai Cheng ,&nbsp;Nianchun Li ,&nbsp;Qiaoyun Wu ,&nbsp;Zhuo Liu ,&nbsp;Bo Chen ,&nbsp;Zhe Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2026.e01907","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2026.e01907","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and recycled aggregates (RAs) represents a pivotal strategy for mitigating the environmental impact and resource consumption of concrete production. To advance the utilization of such low-carbon concrete, this study develops a machine-learning framework for predicting the compressive strength of concrete incorporating fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag. A dataset of 230 mixtures was compiled from peer-reviewed studies retrieved via Google Scholar, the Web of Science and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Keywords for the search included “Recycled aggregate concrete”, “Fly ash”, “Ground granulated blast furnace slag”, “Compressive strength”, and “Machine learning”. Studies were included if they reported compressive strength and curing age, and provided sufficient mix-design information for feature extraction. Incomplete, duplicate, overlapping, or non-comparable records were excluded. The resulting dataset from the literature was analyzed using seven key mix parameters as inputs. Distinct from prior RAC machine learning studies, this work targets low-carbon recycled aggregate concrete incorporating both fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag, and systematically benchmarks conventional, ensemble, and optimization-enhanced neural models, complemented by sensitivity interpretation and a deployable GUI tool. Six machine-learning methods were evaluated, including conventional models and optimization-enhanced neural networks. The particle swarm optimization-based backpropagation (PSO-BP) model achieved the best predictive performance, attaining a determination coefficien@@t (R Chithra et al. (2016)2) of 0.953 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 3.39 MPa, alongside demonstrating superior generalization capability compared to single-algorithm models. Curing age and cement content were identified as the dominant factors governing strength development. Furthermore, a user-friendly prediction tool was developed to support rapid strength estimation and reduce laboratory testing efforts. This framework establishes a practical and reliable pathway for optimizing the design of low-carbon recycled aggregate concrete, thereby facilitating its broader application in sustainable construction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01907"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable ether electrolyte engineering for all-climate and durable viologen electrochromic devices","authors":"Yingda Zhang,&nbsp;Shunyu Wang,&nbsp;Tianhe Xu,&nbsp;Qilin Zhang,&nbsp;Dongwen Zou,&nbsp;Lintao Zeng,&nbsp;Ying Cui,&nbsp;Xiong Liu,&nbsp;Yaowu He,&nbsp;Hong Meng","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrochromic devices (ECDs) capable of actively modulating light and heat transmission are key enablers of sustainable and energy-efficient building technologies. However, their deployment remains hindered by poor low-temperature performance and limited long-term durability. Here, we propose a sustainable electrolyte engineering strategy using diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DEDM)-a low-toxicity, recyclable, weakly solvating ether solvent-as an alternative to conventional propylene carbonate (PC). Compared with PC-based systems, DEDM electrolytes enable superior ionic conductivity, reduced desolvation barriers, and improved interfacial charge-transfer kinetics. The optimized viologen-based ECDs deliver a high optical modulation (ΔT ≈ 81 % at 580 nm), fast coloration/bleaching (2.97 / 3.51 s), and exceptional cycling stability (83.7 % contrast retention after 30,000 cycles). Remarkably, the devices retain full reversibility down to −40 °C, where PC systems fail to bleach completely. Combined ⁷Li NMR and density functional theory analyses confirm that the weaker Li⁺–solvent coordination in DEDM enhances both ion mobility and electrochemical durability. Beyond performance gains, DEDM offers environmental compatibility, industrial accessibility, and reusability, demonstrating a practical pathway toward scalable, sustainable, and all-climate electrochromic smart-window technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01792"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145622808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Particle electrodes for sustainable sulfide electro-oxidation: Critical insight into anode passivation mitigation and high-valued sulfur recovery","authors":"Umar Abdulbaki Danhassan ,&nbsp;Jianglong Liu ,&nbsp;Musa Abubakar Tadda ,&nbsp;Abubakar Shitu ,&nbsp;Ibrahim Lawan ,&nbsp;Zhiying Han ,&nbsp;Qili Yu ,&nbsp;Songming Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sulfide electrochemical oxidation is an eco-friendly wastewater treatment method that uses electrons as the primary reagent to convert sulfide into recoverable elemental sulfur (S⁰) and sulfate. However, sluggish sulfide transfer to the anode and sulfur passivation of the anode hinder its wide-scale implementation. Anode surface modifications that produce electrocatalysts on the anode surface or on the oxide film to enhance sulfide transfer kinetics and the anode's processing capacity require intensive chemicals, improve electrocatalysis in a localized area, and S⁰ passivation of the anode progressively degrades the performance. Likewise, chemical, mechanical, and electrochemical methods employed to remove the sulfur passivation layer reintroduce S⁰ into solution, necessitating an additional solid-liquid separation step. This review proposes a paradigm shift that integrates redox-active materials between electrodes to serve as particle electrodes (PE) for sustainable sulfide remediation. The review shows how biochar can serve as PE, utilizing porous, conductive, and redox-active sites to simultaneously mitigate anode passivation, reduce energy demand, and enable recovery of high-value S⁰ and sulfate. Spent biochar can be a slow-release sulfur fertilizer and buffer against soil salinity and ammonia volatilization. These insights would bridge fundamental electrochemistry with resource recovery in wastewater treatment and soil remediation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01808"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wood vinegar-enhanced iron-loaded coffee grounds biochar activated persulfate for removing persistent organic pollutants","authors":"Jiujiu Xiong ,&nbsp;Junfeng Zhu ,&nbsp;Qingzhu Zeng ,&nbsp;Zhaohan Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiahui Liu ,&nbsp;Wen Zha ,&nbsp;Guanghua Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01800","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01800","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While acid modification is widely employed to enhance the performance of biochar-based catalysts, the environmental implications associated with the use of non-environmentally friendly reagents remain a significant concern. A wood vinegar-modified nitrogen-doped coffee grounds biochar-supported iron catalyst (V-Fe@N-BC) was successfully synthesized and exhibited high efficacy for activating potassium persulfate (PS) to degrade persistent organic pollutants(POPs). The bisphenol A(BPA) degradation rate constant of V-Fe@N-BC is 6 times on that of Fe@N-BC (non-wood vinegar modification). The wood vinegar generated exceptional microstructure and high density of reaction sites on biochar (BC). The surface characterization of the V-Fe@N-BC revealed an increase in carbonyl (C=O) content from 18.44 % to 35.79 % and a rise in specific surface area from 145.78 m² g⁻¹ to 396.77 m² g⁻¹. Furthermore, the V-Fe@N-BC exhibits not only outstanding catalytic activity but also strong environmental adaptability and excellent recyclability. This study proposes the application of wood vinegar and biochar derived from agroforestry wastes as a sustainable alternative modifiers for persulfate activing to clean wastewater.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01800"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanically stable defective Mo2TiX2O2 MXenes as potential electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction toward methanol production","authors":"Irfan Ali Soomro,&nbsp;Di Zhao,&nbsp;Samuel Akinlolu Ogunkunle,&nbsp;Ming Zhou,&nbsp;Liang Wang,&nbsp;Porun Liu,&nbsp;Huai Qin Fu,&nbsp;Lei Zhang,&nbsp;Huijun Zhao,&nbsp;Yun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01804","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01804","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into liquid fuels offers a sustainable pathway to mitigate greenhouse emissions while storing renewable energy in chemical form. MXenes are promising candidates for this reaction due to their exceptional conductivity and tunable surface chemistry. Herein, we applied density functional theory to reveal that defect-engineered double transition metal (DTM) MXenes can exhibit remarkable catalytic enhancement. The formation of a mechanically stable metal‑oxygen-vacancy pair center in Mo₂TiC₂O₂ is energetically allowed, which can significantly lower the overpotential for methanol formation to only 0.46 V. The reaction proceeds via the formate pathway, where the vacancy pair center acts as a Lewis acidic site that strongly anchors the nucleophilic oxygen atom of CO₂. This acid-based interplay drives efficient activation, stabilizes key intermediates, and suppresses the competing hydrogen evolution reaction. These findings position defective DTM MXenes as highly promising electrocatalysts and underscore the pivotal role of defect engineering in tailoring MXenes for efficient CO₂ conversion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01804"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydride ionic conductors: Bridging ionic transport mechanisms and design strategies for sustainable energy systems","authors":"Kaixiang Ren ,&nbsp;Jianhui Li ,&nbsp;Hai-Wen Li ,&nbsp;Yongtao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01820","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01820","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydride ions (H⁻) have emerged as compelling charge carriers for hydrogen and energy storage, distinguished by their exceptional polarizability, robust reducibility and high redox potential. While hydride ion batteries hold transformative potential across energy technologies, progress remains constrained by limited material discovery and subpar ionic conductivity in existing systems. This review systematically deciphers hydrogen transport mechanisms in state-of-the-art hydride conductors, including vacancy-mediated hopping, interstitial migration, phase-transition-assisted diffusion, and charge-carrier clustering. Critical insights into the regulatory role of A-site cation dynamics and hydrogen-site selectivity in governing these pathways are elucidated. Building on these fundamentals, this review discusses strategies for material modification that leverage these transport mechanisms to enhance the diffusion kinetics of hydrogen anions and improve material performance. Complementing experimental advances, computational descriptors derived from density functional theory (e.g., bandgap energy, defect formation energy, and migration energy) are analyzed as predictive tools for material innovation. By bridging mechanistic understanding with performance-driven design, this work charts a roadmap to overcome current limitations in hydride ion conduction, accelerating the realization of efficient, durable and sustainable energy systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01820"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145797638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing the electrochemical performances of sodium-ion battery dry-processed anodes by designing a binary conductive network","authors":"Hongquan Gao ,&nbsp;Zhifei Song ,&nbsp;Haoran Li,&nbsp;Quan Liao,&nbsp;Suhui Wang,&nbsp;Tong Wu,&nbsp;Haitao Zhou,&nbsp;Jianchun Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01843","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01843","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dry-processed hard carbon anodes promise to significantly enhance the energy density of sodium-ion batteries, meeting the demands of next-generation, low-cost, high-performance sodium-ion batteries. It is still highly demanding to optimize the conductive agents of dry-processed electrodes to improve the rate performance of thick electrodes. We constructed a “point-line” synergistic conductive network using carbon nanotubes and Super P binary conductive agent within the anode active material by a semi-dry process of fiberization. The “point-line” synergistic conductive network structure effectively enhances the electrode's electrical conductivity and sodium storage capacitance processes, as well as sodium-ion diffusion coefficients, resulting in faster electrochemical kinetics. The rigid network structure formed by the conductive agent and fibrillated polytetrafluoroethylene strengthens the electrode's mechanical tensile strength, suppresses electrode volume expansion, facilitates the formation of a superior solid electrolyte interphase film, and ultimately promotes cycling stability. The reaction between the conductive agent and polytetrafluoroethylene reveals a novel mechanism involving the reaction of oxygen-containing functional groups with C<img>F radicals. The half-cells with the dry-processed hard carbon anodes incorporating this binary conductive agent, even at a high loading of 20.1 mg/cm², could maintain a stable areal capacity of 4.5 mAh/cm² over 25 cycles. The full cells with dry-processed hard carbon anodes exhibit a discharge capacity retention of 73.06 % at 3C compared to that at 0.3C, and 83.0 % capacity retention after 500 cycles at 0.5C, demonstrating excellent rate and cycling performance. We believe that this work provides a new strategy for designing a “point-line” synergistic conductive network in dry-processed electrodes to develop high-performance sodium-ion batteries for commercial applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01843"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alkaline-responsive, zein-based nanospheres with enhanced vertical soil mobility for sustained and targeted control of soybean root rot","authors":"Zifeng Yang ,&nbsp;Haonan Zhang ,&nbsp;Donglai Zhang ,&nbsp;Yun Fang ,&nbsp;Qiuyu Xiong ,&nbsp;Bin Yu ,&nbsp;Jingli Cheng ,&nbsp;Liqing Li ,&nbsp;Qunzhen Guo ,&nbsp;Jinhao Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01839","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01839","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soybean root rot, primarily caused by <em>Fusarium</em> and <em>Phytophthora</em> spp., severely damages root tissues, impairs nutrient uptake, and leads to plant death, particularly in saline-alkaline soils, where high pH, salt stress, and deteriorated soil conditions reduce the stress resistance of soybean plants. Conventional chemical treatments are less effective owing to the poor vertical mobility of fungicides in alkaline soils. Stimuli-responsive controlled-release formulations can improve the bioavailability of active ingredients, reduce application frequency, and minimize environmental impact. Here, we present a sustainable, biodegradable, and environmentally benign delivery system based on zein, a plant-derived protein. Zein was modified with non-toxic succinic anhydride to improve water dispersibility, resulting in a green carrier (SZ) with reduced ecological risk. The UV-sensitive fungicide difenoconazole (Di) was encapsulated into this carrier via nanoprecipitation to construct a stimuli-responsive nano-enabled delivery system (Di@SZ). Di@SZ exhibited alkaline-triggered release, with rapid release in alkaline conditions. Compared to the commercial emulsifiable concentrate (EW), Di@SZ nanoparticles showed a 3.03-fold improvement in UV resistance. They enhanced vertical mobility of Di in soil, enabling targeted root delivery during drip irrigation in saline-alkaline soils. Pot experiments demonstrated that Di@SZ provided stronger and longer-lasting protection against soybean root rot than EW. Moreover, the system exhibited superior biosafety, with 2.77-fold lower toxicity to soil earthworms relative to EW. These findings underscore Di@SZ as a sustainable, materials-based plant protection technology that integrates renewable resources, reduces environmental impact, and enhances efficacy, offering a promising approach for eco-friendly disease management in agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22097,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e01839"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}