chemical engineering journal，2026.
abstract
the burgeoning demand for sustainable pest control has driven the integration of nanotechnology with biocontrol agents. this study explores the use of graphene oxide (go) as a nanocarrier to enhance the efficacy ofbeauveria bassiana(bb) againstostrinia furnacalis(asian corn borer, acb), while concurrently enhancing the maize growth. go-bb nanocomposite at a concentration ratio of 4:1 demonstrated remarkable improvements in the thermal stability and ultraviolet resilience of bb. at a concentration of 20μg/ml, 61.4% spore germination rate was observed at 40°c. furthermore, the 37.2% of inactivation rate of bb spores was recorded which was significantly higher than the bb spores protected with 20μg/ml go (25.2 and 24.6%) following exposure to ultraviolet radiation for 4 and 6h, respectively. the colonization rate of bb in maize increased to 100% at 14- and 83.33% at 21days after emergence. field experiments revealed that go-bb nanocomposite significantly reduced the acb damage on maize plants 28days after germination. uptake of the go-bb nanocomposite activated phytohormone signaling pathways and boosted insect-resistance. weighted gene coexpression network analysis of deg revealed the upregulation of an abscisic acid-responsive gene,abr1, following go-bb treatment at 12h post acb infestation. acb damage over 24h can lead to higher concentrations of dimboa-glc, hdmboa-glc, mboa, hm2boa-glc, and dim2boa-glc in the go-bb treatment than ck and bb. additionally, the go-bb treatment significantly upregulated the gene expression ofbx10, a marker gene associated with bx-regulated defense, even in the absence of acb damage. these findings underscore the dual benefits of go-bb nanocomposite. it has the capability to integrate pest management with the promotion of plant growth synergistically. by enhancing bb's pathogenicity and activating maize's defense pathways, it offers a sustainable alternative for integrated pest management. future research should explore its extensive applications within crop protection and sustainable agriculture.
chemical engineering journal，if=13.2
