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.表皮蜡膜（Cuticular wax film）可通过介导环境中水分与养分的转运，为植物提供保护。表面活性剂是农用喷雾制剂的关键组分，可促进活性成分跨蜡膜的吸收，但具体的分子过程仍鲜为人知。在我们此前的研究中，已证实将蜡膜重构于氧化硅衬底之上后，可通过NR等技术表征重构蜡膜的结构及其与表面活性剂的相互作用。在本研究方案中，我们拟采用NR技术，以由典型蜡质组分构成的模型蜡膜为研究对象，重点考察温度对其的影响，并分别设置添加模型表面活性剂C12E6与不添加该表面活性剂的实验组。本研究是我们持续推进相关研究的重要尝试，旨在深化相关科学认知，以优化现有农药的使用效果并助力新型农药的研发。