Application of microencapsulated biopesticides to improve repellent finishing of cotton fabrics

Abstract

Insect repellent textiles are currently being investigated as a complementary tool to control disease vectors, such as mosquitoes. The application of microencapsulated biopesticides to textiles is a promising low-toxicity alternative to other control methods, as microcapsules may prolong the release of the repellent agent. In this work, microcapsules containing two biopesticides, namely citronella essential oil and citriodiol® were prepared and applied to cotton textiles using a variety of techniques. The aim of this work was to evaluate these functional textiles to select the most efficient, durable systems. Citriodiol-treated cotton presented a prolonged durability, and 100% repellency could be achieved for more than 30 days after padding onto cotton fabrics. It has to be pointed out that all these repellent textiles have been obtained by scalable, low-cost methods which would require no additional investment for textile finishing industries.