As global food security faces growing strain — with 2.3 billion people experiencing food insecurity, according to FAO data — scientists in China have developed a breakthrough pesticide that could reshape crop protection. A team from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Tsinghua University, and Hefei University of Technology (HFUT) has created a single-atom copper pesticide designed to overcome the major drawbacks of conventional copper formulations. Their findings show how single-atom technology can maximize copper efficiency while sharply reducing environmental risks.
Traditional copper pesticides, such as Bordeaux mixture introduced in 1885, remain widely used but come with serious trade-offs: poor atomic efficiency, copper buildup in soils (up to 103 mg/kg), plant toxicity, and pollution.
The new material, dubbed Cu1/CaCO3, marks a major advance. Using precise chemical precipitation, researchers anchored individual copper atoms (1.02 wt%) to calcium carbonate carriers, forming a distinct Cu-O4 structure verified by advanced microscopy and spectroscopy.
In field trials, a solution of 1500 mg/L achieved nearly 78% control of the rice pathogen Pantoea ananatis. Just as significantly, it left 20 times less copper residue in soil while remaining safe for plants and non-target organisms. Researchers suggest the material works by attacking bacterial membranes and disrupting energy metabolism — dual mechanisms that preserve strong antimicrobial activity while avoiding the environmental costs of older copper pesticides, according to a press release.
“This breakthrough demonstrates how advanced materials science can provide practical solutions for sustainable agriculture,” commented Professor Wu. “By reimagining traditional pesticides at the atomic level, we’ve created a tool that could help feed the world while protecting our ecosystems.”
The study highlights a new path for sustainable pesticide innovation and demonstrates the potential of single-atom materials in tackling agricultural challenges. By combining strong disease control with reduced environmental risk, Cu1/CaCO3 emerges as a promising alternative to traditional copper pesticides in global crop protection.
