Repel +: New mosquito repellent solutions with application to malaria control

The microcapsules can be incorporated into different products and used for different active agents/insect repellents, with the objective in this project being a solution for spraying static surfaces and laundry detergent solutions, both for repelling mosquitoes that transmit Malaria. The microcapsules to be developed function as an airtight reservoir for the repellent and their activation must begin through a photocatalytic mechanism. To this end, the microcapsules will be functionalized on their surface with photocatalytic nanoparticles, which after sun exposure should initiate oxidation-reduction mechanisms and subsequent volatilization of the encapsulated repellent optimized for maximum action time. The production of microcapsules will be studied so that they are easy to incorporate into different solutions, without the microcapsules losing their photocatalytic and repellent diffusion properties, as well as the microcapsules themselves and their materials, which will be conditioned by the repellent compound in their interior. As there are no repellent compounds with proven efficacy and given the relevance of time of action, new formulations will be studied using nanotechnology to optimize these parameters. The aqueous-based mixture for the spray product and the appropriate concentration of microcapsules will be studied. In terms of clothing products, the solution and concentration of microcapsules will also be studied, so that these microcapsule systems are impregnated into the textile fibers and activated by drying the clothing in the sun in a cyclical manner and in as many cycles as possible. For both products and their respective microencapsulated repellent compounds, laboratory tests and tests in a natural environment will be essential.

Product Development
Vector Control

Jul 2021

$1.09M

Portugal