Effect of temperature on the structure of model wax films as studied by neutron reflection

Cuticular wax films protect plants by mediating water and nutrient transport from the environment. Surfactant is a key ingredient in agrisprays that can promote the uptake of active ingredients across the wax films, but the exact molecular processes are little understood. In our previous work, we have demonstrated that by reconstituting wax films onto silicon oxide substrate, NR and other techniques can be used to characterise the structure of reconstituted wax films and their interactions with surfactants. In this proposal, we propose to use NR to study the model wax films comprised of representative wax ingredients focusing on examining the effect of temperature, with and without model surfactant C12E6. This work represents our continuous research endeavour to advance the science that could improve the performance of current pesticides and help develop better ones.