Vesicle-coacervate-driven efficient deposition of a sprayed droplet on hydrophobic soybean leaf surfaces†

The inherent superhydrophobicity of a plant's leaves results in a low deposition efficiency of pesticides used to improve crop production. Herein, we modulated the surfactant structure by self-assembling quaternary ammonium Gemini surfactants 12-n-12 (spacer length, n = 4, 6, 8) with sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) droplets to form positively charged spherical vesicles. Furthermore, the chosen 12-6-12/SDS droplets at X_12-6-12 = 0.6 could aggregate into large, soft, and deformable vesicles, which realized excellent spreading and deposition of the droplets onto the superhydrophobic soybean leaf surface. This work not only improved the pesticide efficiency but also promoted the development of an environmentally friendly agricultural system.