Study of Manganese Laurate as Adsorbing Matrix for Undecan-2-one: Factors Affecting Adsorption for Application in Controlled-Release of Pheromones

One of the greatest challenges faced by agriculture is the use of agrochemicals and the balance between food production and environmental problems associated with the excessive use of these substances. To overcome this issue, pheromones have been used to trap pests that harm crops. This work reports the use of a layered monocarboxylate, manganese laurate (MnL2), as adsorbing matrix for undecan-2-one (methyl nonyl ketone (MNK)), one of the components of the pheromone of the insect Lobiopa insularis, which is a pest in the strawberry cultivar. The manganese laurate was synthesized by a coprecipitation method and was later characterized using X-ray diffractometry, vibrational spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. The characterization techniques showed that MNK was adsorbed in the manganese laurate structure in a range of 0.08 to 1.13 mg g-1, and this interaction was investigated in a factorial design experiment, in which the variables temperature, time of contact, and matrix:MNK ratio were investigated. A negative effect of increasing temperatures was observed and attributed to substrate volatilization. The adsorption was favored in increasing molar ratios and times of contact, and ideal conditions for the adsorption could be found, indicating that manganese laurate could be applied in controlledrelease tests.