Sunscreen‐Inspired Nano‐Pesticide for UV‐Shielding and Laccase‐Responsive Delivery of Mancozeb With Enhanced Fungicidal Efficacy and Ecological Safety

ABSTRACT

Fungicides are a crucial tool for protecting crops and ensuring consistent food supply. As a fundamental and widely‐used fungicide in global agriculture, mancozeb (MCB) suffers from rapid photodegradation, poor foliar adhesion, and substantial non‐target toxicity, limiting its efficacy and environmental compatibility. To address these issues, we developed a sunscreen‐inspired nano‐pesticide, MCB@URFSL, designed to enhance MCB's photostability, rainfastness, and targeted delivery. This system was fabricated via the co‐assembly of phthalate‐modified Pluronic F127 (URF) and lignosulfonate (SL), yielding monodisperse nanoparticles (∼180 nm) with integrated UV‐shielding, laccase‐responsive, and pathogen‐targeting properties. The strategy significantly improved MCB's photostability, retaining over 60% of antifungal activity after 5 days of UVA exposure. MCB@URFSL exhibited enhanced leaf adhesion and rainfastness on tomato leaves, along with laccase‐triggered release. In vitro and in vivo bioassays confirmed its superior protective and curative efficacy against fungal infections in cucumber seedlings. Importantly, the nanocarrier significantly reduced MCB's toxicity toward human keratinocytes,  Escherichia coli , and zebrafish, with no acute mortality observed even at a concentration of 50 µg/mL. This work presents an intelligent nano‐pesticide strategy that synergistically enhances fungicidal efficacy and ecological safety, thereby establishing a promising platform for pioneering the next generation of agrochemicals.