Microwave synthesized and laser activated hyaluronic/polyacrylate/basil seed cloud seeding glaciogenic/hygroscopic nanocomposite

Cloud seeding is a technique used for weather modification, but the commonly used material, silver iodide, has environmental concerns. In response to this concern, we report a biocompatible hyaluronate/polyacrylate/basil seed nanocomposite was synthesized in this study using microwave irradiation and chemical esterification. A new approach involving polarized CO₂ laser ablation was developed to enhance the nanocomposite's active surface area. The study focused on investigating changes in morphology and surface area during irradiation, which are crucial for effective cloud seeding while minimizing environmental impact. Thermogravimetric analysis showed acceptable water adsorption/absorption properties of up to 98.55%. with this feature, the synthesized nanostructure displayed hygroscopic properties. Also, these amorphous nanocomposites exhibited pseudo-stacking disorder properties in their X-ray diffraction patterns making them a promising cloud seeding agent with glaciogenic properties. In the present study, after investigating nanocomposites, C5 sample with 5 min microwave radiation and one-minute pulse between each radiation, was chosen as the best among the samples. Evaluation in a calibrated cloud seeding chamber revealed the nanocomposite's reliability, producing up to 1.18 (± 0.11) × 10¹⁴ particles of active cloud seeding compound per gram within a 45-minute timeframe. These results were observed at temperatures between - 14 and - 16 °C with a relative humidity exceeding 90%.