β-Cyclodextrin-Modified Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Photo-Responsive Gatekeepers for Controlled Release of Hexaconazole
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript coatings-1441519 " β-Cyclodextrin-modified Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Photo-responsive Gatekeepers for Controlled Release of Hexaconazole" by Zhang and co-workers describes photo-responsive controlled-release hexaconazole nanoparticles were successfully prepared with azobenzene-modified bimodal mesoporous silica, in which b-cyclodextrin was capped onto the nanoparticles surface via host–guest interaction.
The manuscript is logical and well written. The paper will definitely be of interest to the readers of Coatings.
Comments / suggestions:
1) How was the host–guest interaction between β-Cyclodextrin and BMMs-Azo confirmed?
2) Will the resulting system "turn off" in the absence of light after turning on? If so, how fast?
3) The quality of Figure 6 needs to be improved.
4) Line 113 Hexaconazole or hexazolol?
Line 102. THN?
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
This work is interesting and the analysis is reasonably clear, but there are still a few concerns regarding this article. Therefore, I suggest its publication after the following major revisions:
- A clear scheme for obtaining the Hex@BMMs/Azo/β-CD Nps is absolutely necessary!
- In my opinion, the IR spectra do not clearly sustain the presence of various functional groups on the surface of BMMs. Additional analyses: XPS, elemental analysis / EDX, and thermal analysis are necessary to demonstrate these structural changes.
-In subchapter 3.4. Photo-responsive property, the authors stated, “After being irradiated with 365-nm UV light for 120 min, approximately 81.5% of Azo in the Nps was isomerized from trans to cis structure”. How do the authors estimated the percent of Azo in the Nps isomerized from trans to cis structure?
-DLS analysis: the authors should specify which solvent they used to disperse the obtained Nps.
Some minor corrections:
- Line 41: “stimulative” instead of “simulative”
- Line 102: “THF” instead of “THN”
- Line 136: PDI means polydispersity index, not polymer dispersity index
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Article entitled "β-Cyclodextrin-Modified Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles 2
with Photo-responsive Gatekeepers for Controlled Release of 3
Hexaconazole" addresses a very interesting and needed approach. It has a real potential to be published and reached by a numerous audience. There is a lot of effort and experimental work behind this report and that is to be appreciated. However, in general terms the results could be better described, presented and mainly discussed. The authors are suggested to improve the introduction section. Some more literature are needed to explain/describe the introduction. Some minor mistakes in grammar and English language are detected. So, the authors are requested to improve all the minor mistakes before its publication in "Coatings", a greatly reputed journal.
Best Luck
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
After revision, the manuscript has been greatly improved. I recommend its publication in revised form.
Author Response
Thanks for your consideration!
