Tunable Morphological Engineering of Self‐Assembled Copper‐Glutathione Nanoarchitectures: Size‐Dependent Antibacterial Action for Pathogen Infections Management

ABSTRACT The urgent need for sustainable agrochemicals motivates intelligent nanoagrochemical development. This study addresses the challenges in size control of nanomaterials by fabricating size‐tunable Cu‐GSH nanocapsules (CG) via a cost‐effective co‐precipitation method using copper‐based nanoparticles and glutathione (GSH). In in vivo experiments on kiwifruit, the optimized CG achieved 77% therapeutic efficacy and 66% protective efficacy—surpassing conventional copper nanoparticles and thiodiazole copper (54%)—while reducing toxicity. Morphology dictates function: smaller spheres (e.g., Cu ₄ (OH) ₆ Cl ₂ /GSH, 77%) enabled plant‐internal therapy, while sheet‐like structures (e.g., Cu ₃ (PO ₄ ) ₂ , 63%) enhanced surface protection. Size refinement within spherical variants boosted therapeutic activity by 1.19‐fold over larger counterparts. Enhanced antibacterial effects arose from reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐mediated membrane damage via engineered structures. CG's tunable cavity further allows pesticide encapsulation or multifunctional composite formation, expanding sustainable disease management applications. This work demonstrates that morphological/dimensional control critically balances pesticide performance, environmental safety, and versatility, establishing a size‐dependent design framework for high‐efficacy, eco‐friendly nanopesticides.