PREPARATION OF HYBRID POLYMERS AND USE AS CONTROLLED RELEASE DELIVERY VEHICLE FOR VOLATILE REPELLENT TO CONTROL Aedes aegypti

The Zika virus is a flavivirus spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also transmits dengue and chikungunya. Current forms of control include elimination of mosquito breeding sites, use of insecticides, repellents and other means. The present study developed new adsorbent materials based on silica and biomaterials capable of releasing an Aedes aegypti mosquito repellent. The materials synthesized were characterized by Fourier-Transform Infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller analysis and tested with citronella, an essential oil widely recognized as a natural insect repellent. The materials presented type IV isotherms, with type H1 hysteresis, characteristic of mesoporous materials, with pore diameters of between 50 Å and 80 Å. Materials based on silica-chitosan-glutaraldehyde dried in an oven (SCGO) and silica-chitosan-glutaraldehyde dried under a vacuum (SCGV) were found to produce more controlled release of citronella essential oil. The bioassay test was performed using a horizontal double-choice olfactometer. The adsorbent SCGO remained stable for the four hours of the bioassay, while the commercial repellent became ineffective after two hours of release. The production of a prototype in the form of bracelets, stickers releasing a volatile repellent is therefore proposed as a method for the control of the mosquito in urban areas.