TiO₂-Ni Hybrid Suspension as Visible-Light-Responsive Antifungal Agents for Controlling Phytophthora palmivora

Abstract

Black pod disease caused by Phytophthora palmivora (P. palmivora) remains a major constraint in global cocoa production, leading to yie ld losses of up to 40 % and increased resistance to synthetic fungicides. In this study, a novel visible-light-responsive TiO2-Ni hybrid suspension system was synthesized via a modified sol-gel method and evaluated as an eco-friendly antifungal agent specifically against P. palmivora. Structural, morphological, and compositional analyses using FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDX confirmed the successful incorporation of Ni into the TiO2 lattice, while UV-Vis DRS revealed a red shift in absorption and a narrowed band gap from 3.20 eV to 3.05 eV. Antifungal performance was assessed in vitro at various concentrations (0.1-1.0 % w/v) under dark, UV, and visible-light conditions. The TiO2-Ni suspension exhibited the highest inhibition under visible-light irradiation, achieving near-complete inhibition of mycelial growth at 0.5-1.0 % concentrations, whereas minimal activity was observed under dark conditions. This enhanced performance is attributed to improved electron-hole separation and increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to membrane disruption and cell damage. These findings highlight the TiO2-Ni hybrid suspension as a promising and sustainable alternative to conventional fungicides for controlling P. palmivora in cocoa cultivation.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{zulfikar2026tio₂ni,
  title = {{TiO₂-Ni Hybrid Suspension as Visible-Light-Responsive Antifungal Agents for Controlling Phytophthora palmivora}},
  author = {Asryrahmad Zulfikar and Dian Ekawati and Irwan Irwan and Nur Arfa Yanti and Nasriadi Dali and Ishmah Farah Adiba and Muhammad Nurdin and Thamrin Azis and Nohong Nohong and Maulidiyah Maulidiyah},
  journal = {Journal of Oleo Science},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.5650/jos.ess26058},
  url = {https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jos/75/9/75_jos.ess26058/_article},
  note = {CC BY},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - TiO₂-Ni Hybrid Suspension as Visible-Light-Responsive Antifungal Agents for Controlling Phytophthora palmivora
AU  - Asryrahmad Zulfikar
AU  - Dian Ekawati
AU  - Irwan Irwan
AU  - Nur Arfa Yanti
AU  - Nasriadi Dali
AU  - Ishmah Farah Adiba
AU  - Muhammad Nurdin
AU  - Thamrin Azis
AU  - Nohong Nohong
AU  - Maulidiyah Maulidiyah
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/01
JO  - Journal of Oleo Science
DO  - 10.5650/jos.ess26058
UR  - https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jos/75/9/75_jos.ess26058/_article
AB  - Black pod disease caused by Phytophthora palmivora (P. palmivora) remains a major constraint in global cocoa production, leading to yie ld losses of up to 40 % and increased resistance to synthetic fungicides. In this study, a novel visible-light-responsive TiO2-Ni hybrid suspension system was synthesized via a modified sol-gel method and evaluated as an eco-friendly antifungal agent specifically against P. palmivora. Structural, morphological, and compositional analyses using FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDX confirmed the successful incorporation of Ni into the TiO2 lattice, while UV-Vis DRS revealed a red shift in absorption and a narrowed band gap from 3.20 eV to 3.05 eV. Antifungal performance was assessed in vitro at various concentrations (0.1-1.0 % w/v) under dark, UV, and visible-light conditions. The TiO2-Ni suspension exhibited the highest inhibition under visible-light irradiation, achieving near-complete inhibition of mycelial growth at 0.5-1.0 % concentrations, whereas minimal activity was observed under dark conditions. This enhanced performance is attributed to improved electron-hole separation and increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to membrane disruption and cell damage. These findings highlight the TiO2-Ni hybrid suspension as a promising and sustainable alternative to conventional fungicides for controlling P. palmivora in cocoa cultivation.
SN  - 1347-3352
SN  - 1345-8957
ER  -

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