Environmental concerns and low efficacy pose a challenge for the application of traditional insecticide formulations. In this study, a series of λ-cyhalothrin (LC)-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) were produced by flash nanoprecipitation (FNP), and the parameters that influence nanoparticle size were systematically studied. The narrowly distributed and size-controllable NPs formed stable suspensions in aqueous solution without organic solvents. The amphiphilic block polymer PEG-PDLLA played an important role as a drug carrier, and the encapsulation content was as high as 99%. The obtained NPs with high loading of LC exhibited toxicity comparable to those of two commercial formulations at low doses. This confirms that FNP technology is a promising and scalable method for agrochemical delivery.
Keywords: block polymer; flash nanoprecipitation; nanosuspension; λ-cyhalothrin.