Delivery of Herbicidal Actives From Highly Charged Microcapsules

A method for forming a herbicidal composition, the method comprising:

• (a) preparing an emulsion including a continuous phase that is polar or non-polar, and a dispersed phase comprising droplets including (i) a polar herbicidal active ingredient when the continuous phase is non-polar or (ii) a non-polar herbicidal active ingredient when the continuous phase is polar;
• and
• (b) adding a silica precursor to the emulsion such that the silica precursor can be emulsion templated on the droplets to form hollow silica-based particles that encapsulate the herbicidal active ingredient,
• wherein the silica precursor has the general formula (I):
• R1x—Si—(OR2)y (I)
• wherein R1 is selected from substituted and unsubstituted alkyl, substituted and unsubstituted aryl, alcohols, amines, amides, aldehydes, acids, esters, and functional groups having an unsaturated carbon-carbon bond, R2 is an alkyl group, x+y=4, and y=1, 2 or 3.