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NANO-ENABLED AGROCHEMICALS
IN AGRICULTURE
This page intentionally left blank
 NANO-ENABLED
AGROCHEMICALS
IN AGRICULTURE
Edited by

MANSOUR GHORBANPOUR
Department of Medicinal Plants, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak University, Arak, Iran

MUHAMMAD ADNAN SHAHID

Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Food Systems at University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
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 Contents

Contributors xi 4. Eco-friendly routes for obtaining

1. The role of nanotechnology to combat nanoparticles and their application in
major recent worldwide challenges agro-industry
Gabriela Amodeo, Romina Giacometti, Federico Spagnoletti,
G. Ali Mansoori
Patricio Román Santagapita, and Mercedes Perullini

1 Recent problems and efforts towards their 1 Benefits and risks of nanoparticles 49
solution 1 2 Synthesis of nanoparticles: Bioinspiration,
References 5 biomimetics, or allowing nature do the work 51
3 NPs come from nature and to nature they
2. Classification of nanomaterials and their shall return 53
physical and chemical nature 4 Technological strategies in agriculture 55
Shreya Saha, Shikha Bansal, and Manika Khanuja 5 Nanoparticles for biotic stress and plant
disease/pest management 57
1 Introduction 7 6 Nanoparticles against weeds 58
2 Origin 8 Acknowledgments 58
3 Classification of nanostructures 8 References 59
4 Various phenomena that affect the properties of
nanomaterials 20 5. The mechanisms involved in the
5 Properties of nanomaterials 21 synthesis of biogenic nanoparticles
References 27 Zahra Gerami, Fariba Fahmideh Mahdizadeh, Sajad Aliyar,
Behnam Asgari Lajayer, and Mehrnaz Hatami
3. The theory of relativity effect in
1 Introduction 63
nanoparticles: Deciphering of unknown
2 Literature review 64
effects with nano-puzzle and nano-domini 3 Zinc nanoparticles 68
Mehrdad Alizadeh, Nariman Maroofpour, Behnam Asgari Lajayer, 4 Silver nanoparticles 71
and Mehrnaz Hatami
5 Conclusions 73
References 74
1 Introduction 35
2 Unknown effects and gaps 36
3 The theory of relativity effect 40 6. Advanced analytical techniques
4 Nano-puzzle as a new concept and strategy in for physico-chemical characterization
nanotechnology 41 of nano-materials
5 Domino effect or chain effect theory in NPs Miguel Tinoco, Marı́a Pilar Yeste, and Marta Sendra
(Nano-domino) 42
6 Hypothetical experiment design for relativity 1 Electron microscopy 80
theory effect 43 2 Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy 87
7 Conclusions 46 3 Raman spectroscopy 89
References 46 4 X-ray diffraction (XRD) 91

v
vi Contents

5 X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) 91 6 Future perspectives 168

6 Thermal analysis techniques 93 References 168
7 NPs interaction with soils and
microorganisms 94 10. Applications of nanotechnology
References 97 in precision agriculture
Naorem Bidyaleima Chanu and Mayanglambam
7. Nanotechnology for cargo delivery with ChandraKumar Singh
a special emphasis on pesticide, herbicide,
1 Introduction 175
and fertilizer 2 Nanoparticle (NP) synthesis and uptake 176
Sabyasachi Banerjee, Sujayita Mazumder, Debasmita Chatterjee, 3 Commonly exploited nanoparticles in precision
Sankhadip Bose, and Sutapa Biswas Majee
agriculture 176
1 Introduction 105 4 Nanotechnological interventions in precision
2 Materials for fabrication of nanoformulations agriculture 178
of pesticides/herbicides and nanofertilizers 126 5 Future perspectives 184
3 Nanoparticles as active ingredients 132 6 Conclusion 184
4 Nanoporous zeolite 133 Conflict of interest 185
5 Conclusion 135 References 185
References 136
11. Algal nanoparticles and their potential
8. Nano-biofertilizers for enhanced nutrient application in agriculture
use efficiency Maryam Kokabi and Morteza Yousefzadi

Nasrin Fazelian and Morteza Yousefzadi 1 Introduction 189

2 Algae as bio-nanofactories 190
1 Introduction 145
3 Microalgae-based NP synthesis 191
2 Nano-biofertilizers 146
4 Macroalgae-based NP synthesis 191
3 Mineral nutrients deficiency in plants 148
5 Mechanisms for the role of algae in nanoparticle
4 Nutrient availability 150
formation 192
5 Effects of nano-biofertilizers on plant
6 Advantages of algal-based nanoparticles 193
nutrition 150
7 Algal nanoparticles in agriculture 194
6 Biological mechanisms of nano-biofertilizers
8 Concluding remarks and future perspective 195
action 152
References 196
7 Benefits of nano-biofertilizers over conventional
chemical fertilizers 154
8 Conclusion 155
12. Silver and zinc nanoparticles in the
References 156 improvement of agricultural crops
Aditya Banerjee and Aryadeep Roychoudhury

9. Nanopriming technology for 1 Introduction 199

improving crop plants under stressful 2 General properties of NPs 200
conditions: concept and methods 3 Roles of AgNPs in crop improvement 201
Shabnam Katoch, Richa Salwan, and Vivek Sharma 4 Roles of ZnNPs in crop improvement 204
5 Toxicity mediated by AgNPs and ZnNPs:
1 Introduction 159 A brief overview 205
2 Concept of seed priming techniques 160 6 Conclusion 205
3 Methods of seed priming 161 7 Future perspectives 206
4 The downside of seed priming 166 Acknowledgments 206
5 Recent developments in seed priming 167 References 206
 Contents vii
13. Biogenic nanoparticles and their 3 Problems faced by people in agriculture 276
application for removal of organic 4 Role of pesticides in the augmentation of crop
production 276
contaminants from water and wastewater
5 Role of fertilizers in the augmentation of crop
Hakimeh Hajilou, Solmaz Kazemalilou, Behnam Asgari Lajayer,
production 278
Ebrahim Moghiseh, and Mehrnaz Hatami
6 Applications of nanotechnology in
1 Introduction 211 agriculture 279
2 Nanoparticles and biogenic nanoparticles 212 7 An agricultural revolution by nanopesticides and
3 Biogenic nanoparticles for removal of organic nanofertilizers in agriculture 281
contaminants from water and wastewater 213 8 What are nanofertilizers? 282
4 Conclusions 215 9 Conventional bulk fertilizers vs.
References 216 nanofertilizers 283
10 Environmental and health concerns of
14. Stimulatory role of nanomaterials nanofertilizers 284
11 What are nanopesticides? 284
on agricultural crops 12 Hazards associated with the use of
Alonso Mendez-López, Yolanda González-Garcı́a, and nanopesticides and nanofertilizers and their
Antonio Juárez-Maldonado
management 287
1 Introduction 219 13 Conclusion 288
2 Biostimulation with the use of nanomaterials 220 References 288
3 Stimulation of growth and development of crops
with the application of NMs 222 17. Nano-enabled agrochemicals for
4 Stimulation of environmental stress tolerance sustainable agriculture
compounds 230
Abdur Rehman, Tong Qunyi, Muhammad Usman,
5 Stimulation of tolerance compounds to Muhammad Faisal Manzoor, Li Zhao, Jianguo Feng, and
pathogenic microorganisms 230 Seid Mahdi Jafari
6 Stimulation of biocompounds in different organs
of plants 233 1 Introduction 291
7 Conclusions 237 2 Pesticide-loaded nano-enabled
References 237 agrochemicals 293
3 New trends and challenges for field application of
15. Green synthesis of nanoparticles and pesticide-loaded nano-enabled agrochemicals 299
their uses in agriculture 4 Conclusions 302
References 302
S. Ramkumar, V. Baskar, R. Skymoon, T. Pooja, B.H. Gangadhar,
S. Umadevi, K. Saravana Murali, I.M. Chung, and M. Thiruvengadam
18. Synthesis of nanofungicides by
1 Introduction 247
encapsulating fungicide nanoparticles
2 Green synthesis nanoparticles 248
3 Role of nanotechnology in agriculture 258 using functionalized graphene and its
4 Conclusions 263 application against phytopathogenic
References 263 Rhizoctonia solani
Nahid Sarlak, Morteza Poorhadi, and Mansour Ghorbanpour
16. A comprehensive review on
nanopesticides and nanofertilizers—A boon 1 Introduction 307
2 Materials and methods 309
for agriculture
3 Results and discussion 311
Bhavna Sharma, Usha Lakra, Rajani Sharma, and
4 Conclusions 321
Shubha Rani Sharma
Conflict of interest 321
1 Introduction 273 Acknowledgments 322
2 Importance of agriculture 275 References 322
viii Contents

19. Effects of nanoparticles on 9 Conclusions 385

phytotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity 10 Future prospects 385
References 386
in agricultural crops
S. Ramkumar, M. Thiruvengadam, T. Pooja, G. Sri Thatchayani,
J.D. Alwin, B.S. Harish, S. Deva, R. Keerdhana, R.N. Chithraanjane,
22. Nanoparticle-based solutions for
S.H. Nile, and V. Baskar diagnosis and management of fungal
plant pathogens
1 Introduction 325
Faezehossadat Abtahi, Seyedeh Lavin Nourani,
2 Phytotoxicity 326 and Mansour Ghorbanpour
3 Cytotoxicity 332
4 Genotoxicity 335 1 Introduction 393
5 Conclusions 338 2 Diagnosis and management of some fungal plant
References 338 pathogens in nanoscale 395
3 Conclusions 401
References 402
20. Engineered nanomaterial-mediated
changes in the growth and development of 23. Current status and future prospects
common agricultural crops of nanoparticles as plant genetic
CO Ogunkunle, MA Jimoh, S Oyedeji, Mayank Varun, and
GO Okunlola
materials carrier
Vartika Rohatgi, Navakanth Vijay Challagulla, and
1 Introduction 345 Ramesh Namdeo Pudake

2 Classes of nanomaterials 346

1 Introduction 407
3 Relevance of engineered nanomaterials in
2 Prevalent methods of plant transformation and
agriculture/crop production 349
challenges associated with them 408
4 Beneficial effects of engineered nanomaterials
3 Nanocarriers for genetically modified
on growth and development of selected
crops 409
agricultural crops 351
4 Nanocarriers non-GM opportunities 412
5 Beneficial effects of ENMs on biotic stress of the
5 Advantages of nanoparticles for genetic
studied crop plants 363
engineering 418
6 The ecological risk associated with nanomaterials
6 Need for future research 420
inputs in agriculture 364
7 Conclusion 421
7 Conclusion 364
References 421
References 365
24. Current developments in
21. Biosynthesis and green synthesis of nanotechnology for the growth of different
nanoparticles and their use in agriculture industrial sectors: 2010–20
Nahid Sarlak and Mohammad Reza Abdi Khushboo Dasauni and Tapan K. Nailwal

1 Introduction 377 1 Introduction 425

2 Biosynthesis of nanoparticles 378 2 Nanotechnology development in different sectors,
3 Biosynthesis of nanoparticles by fungi 379 2010–20 426
4 Biosynthesis of nanoparticles by bacteria 379 3 Nanotechnology: Current development in
5 Biosynthesis of nanoparticles by plant extract 381 agriculture sector 428
6 Nanoparticles as antimicrobials 382 4 Nano biosensors for food processing 429
7 Plant pathogenicity and nanoparticles 383 5 Conclusion 431
8 Plant growth parameters and efficacy of 6 Future direction 431
nano-formulations on them 384 References 432
 Contents ix
25. Impacts of nanomaterials on metabolic 5 Application of nanoparticles in agriculture
profiling of agricultural crops and food sectors is quite recent compared
to their use in drug delivery and
Zahra Zahra, Zunaira Habib, and Muhammad Qudrat Ullah Farooqi
pharmaceuticals 477
1 Introduction 435 6 Conclusion 480
2 NPs action on metabolic profiling of plants 442 References 481
3 Conclusions 442
References 442 28. Nanotechnology, a new tool for
agriculture and agroindustry
26. Polymeric nanoparticle-based Ana Angelica Feregrino Perez,
insecticide: A critical review of Jose Rosendo Hernández Resendiz, Cristian Josue Mendoza Meneses,
Luis Alfonso Páramo Serrano, Susana Meraz Dávila, and
agriculture production Karen Esquivel Escalante
Khushboo Dasauni, Divya, Priyanka Mathpal, and Tapan K. Nailwal
1 Nanotechnology in the agriculture and
1 Introduction 445 agroindustry 485
2 Different types of insecticides and their mode of 2 Nanomaterials 486
action 447 3 Nano metal oxides as elicitors 487
3 Role of nanotechnology in next generation 4 Nano metal oxides for plant disease protection 494
agriculture 449 5 Application of nanofibers in agriculture 504
4 Nanoparticles as pesticides 451 6 Conclusions 514
5 The current scenario 454 References 515
6 Nano-based insecticides 455
7 Chitosan nanoparticles for sustainable 29. Synthesis of different TiO2
agriculture 458 nanostructures using central
8 Limitations 459
composite design optimization method
9 Future prospective and research challenges 459
References 460 and application of TiO2-nanobelt
for water microorganism’s purification
27. Nano–delivery system: In the Nahid Sarlak, Zeynab Derikvand, and Vahid babie Zareei

agriculture sector
1 Introduction 527
Khushboo Dasauni and Tapan K. Nailwal
2 Experimental setup 529
3 Result and discussion 531
1 Introduction 467
4 Conclusions 535
2 Nanoparticles and nano-carriers for
References 535
agriculture 468
3 Drug delivery: In agriculture 475
4 Prospects of nano-delivery system technology in Index 537
agriculture 476
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 Contributors
Mohammad Reza Abdi Department of Chemis-
try, Faculty of Sciences, Lorestan University,
Khorramabad, Iran
Faezehossadat Abtahi Department of Medici-
nal Plants, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural
Resources, Arak University, Arak, Iran
Sajad Aliyar Department of Soil Science,
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz,
Tabriz, Iran
Mehrdad Alizadeh Department of Plant Pathol-
ogy, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares
University, Tehran, Iran
J.D. Alwin Department of Biotechnology, Sri
Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technol-
ogy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Gabriela Amodeo Institute of Biodivesity, Ex-
perimental and Applied Biology (IBBEA), Uni-
versity of Buenos Aires, National Scientific and
Technical Research Council; Department of
Biodivesity and Experimental Biology (DBBE),
University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
Aditya Banerjee Department of Biotechnology,
St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata,
West Bengal, India
Sabyasachi Banerjee Department of Pharma-
cognosy and Phytochemistry, Gupta College of
Technological Sciences, Asansol, West Bengal,
India
Shikha Bansal Centre for Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New
Delhi, India
V. Baskar Department of Biotechnology, Sri
Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technol-
ogy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
xi
Sankhadip Bose Department of Pharmacog-
nosy, Bengal School of Technology, Hooghly,
West Bengal, India
Navakanth Vijay Challagulla Amity Institute
of Nanotechnology, Amity University Uttar
Pradesh, Noida, UP, India
Naorem Bidyaleima Chanu Department of
Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture
and Forestry, Central Agricultural University,
Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Debasmita Chatterjee Department of Pharma-
ceutics, JIS University, Kolkata, West Bengal,
India
R.N. Chithraanjane Department of Biotechnol-
ogy, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and
Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
I.M. Chung Department of Applied Bio-
science, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic
of Korea
Khushboo Dasauni Department of Biotechnol-
ogy, Kumaun University Nainital, Sir J. C. Bose
Campus, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
Susana Meraz Dávila Graduate and Research
Division, Engineering Faculty, Universidad
Autónoma de Queretaro, Cerro de las Cam-
panas, Santiago de Queretaro, Qro, Mexico
Zeynab Derikvand Department of Chemistry,
Faculty of Sciences, Lorestan University,
Khorramabad, Iran
S. Deva Department of Biotechnology, Sri
Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technol-
ogy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Divya Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun
University Nainital, Sir J. C. Bose Campus,
Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
xii Contributors
Karen Esquivel Escalante Graduate and Re-
search Division, Engineering Faculty,
Universidad Autónoma de Queretaro, Cerro
de las Campanas, Santiago de Queretaro, Qro,
Mexico
Fariba Fahmideh Mahdizadeh Department of
Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Science, Siena University, Siena, Italy
Muhammad Qudrat Ullah Farooqi School of
Agriculture and Environment, The University
of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
Nasrin Fazelian Department of Plant Biology,
Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of
Tabriz, Tabriz; Department of Marine Biology,
Faculty of Marine Science and Technology,
University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Jianguo Feng School of Horticulture and Plant
Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou,
China
B.H. Gangadhar Department of Biotechnology
and Crop Improvement, University of Horti-
cultural Sciences, Bagalkot, Karnataka, India
Zahra Gerami Department of Soil Science, Fac-
ulty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of
Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
Mansour Ghorbanpour Department of Medici-
nal Plants, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural
Resources, Arak University, Arak, Iran
Romina Giacometti Institute of Agricultural
and Environmental Biosciences Research
(INBA), School of Agriculture, University of
Buenos Aires and National Scientific and Tech-
nical Research Council, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
Yolanda González-Garcı́a Department of Bot-
any, Autonomous Agrarian University Antonio
Narro, Saltillo, Mexico
Zunaira Habib Institute of Environmental
Sciences and Engineering, School of Civil and
Environmental Engineering, National Univer-
sity of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad,
Pakistan
Hakimeh Hajilou Department of Soil Science,
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz,
Tabriz, Iran
B.S. Harish Department of Biotechnology, KIT -
Kalaignar Karunanidhi Institute of Technology,
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Mehrnaz Hatami Department of Medicinal
Plants, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Re-
sources, Arak University, Arak, Iran
Seid Mahdi Jafari Department of Food Mate-
rials and Process Design Engineering, Gorgan
University of Agricultural Science and Natural
Resources, Gorgan, Iran
MA Jimoh Plant Biology Unit, Department of
Biological Sciences, Osun State University,
Osogbo, Nigeria
Antonio Juárez-Maldonado Department of Bot-
any, Autonomous Agrarian University Antonio
Narro, Saltillo, Mexico
Shabnam Katoch Division of Plant Pathology,
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute,
New Delhi, India
Solmaz Kazemalilou Department of Soil
Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of
Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
R. Keerdhana Department of Biotechnology, Sri
Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technol-
ogy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Manika Khanuja Centre for Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New
Delhi, India
Maryam Kokabi Department of Marine Biol-
ogy, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology,
University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Behnam Asgari Lajayer Health and Environ-
ment Research Center, Tabriz University of
Medical Sciences; Department of Soil Science,
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz,
Tabriz, Iran
Usha Lakra Department of Bioengineering and
Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology,
Mesra, Ranchi, India
 Contributors
Sutapa Biswas Majee Department of
Pharmaceutics, NSHM College of Pharmaceuti-
cal Technology, NSHM Knowledge Campus,
Kolkata – Group of Institutions, Kolkata, West
Bengal, India
G. Ali Mansoori Departments of Chemical
and Bio-Engineering & Physics, University of
Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
Muhammad Faisal Manzoor School of Food
and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University,
Zhenjiang, China
Nariman Maroofpour Department of Plant
Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University
of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Priyanka Mathpal Department of Molecular
Biology and Genetic Engineering, College of
Basic Sciences and Humanities, Govind Ballabh
Pant University of Agriculture and Technology,
Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India
Sujayita Mazumder Department of Pharm-
aceutics, NSHM College of Pharmaceutical
Technology, NSHM Knowledge Campus,
Kolkata – Group of Institutions, Kolkata, West
Bengal, India
Alonso Mendez-López Department of Botany,
Autonomous Agrarian University Antonio
Narro, Saltillo, Mexico
Cristian Josue Mendoza Meneses Graduate
and Research Division, Engineering Faculty,
Universidad Autónoma de Queretaro, Cerro
de las Campanas, Santiago de Queretaro, Qro,
Mexico
Ebrahim Moghiseh Nuclear Agriculture Re-
search School, Nuclear Science and Technology
Research Institute, Karaj, Iran
Tapan K. Nailwal Department of Biotechnol-
ogy, Kumaun University Nainital, Sir J. C. Bose
Campus, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
S.H. Nile Laboratory of Medicinal Plant
Biotechnology, College of Pharmacy, Zhejiang
Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou,
Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
Seyedeh Lavin Nourani Plant Pathology
Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat
Modares University, Tehran, Iran
xiii
CO Ogunkunle Environmental Biology Unit,
Department of Plant Biology, University of
Ilorin, Ilorin; Plant Biology Unit, Department
of Biological Sciences, Osun State University,
Osogbo, Nigeria
GO Okunlola Plant Biology Unit, Department
of Biological Sciences, Osun State University,
Osogbo, Nigeria
S Oyedeji Environmental Biology Unit, Depart-
ment of Plant Biology, University of Ilorin,
Ilorin, Nigeria
Ana Ang erez Graduate and
elica Feregrino P
Research Division, Engineering Faculty,
Universidad Autónoma de Queretaro, Cerro
de las Campanas, Santiago de Queretaro, Qro,
Mexico
Mercedes Perullini Department of Inorganic,
Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Ex-
act and Natural Sciences, University of Buenos
Aires; Institute of Physical Chemistry of Mate-
rials, Environment and Energy (INQUIMAE),
National Scientific and Technical Research
Council of Argentina (CONICET), Buenos
Aires, Argentina
T. Pooja Department of Biotechnology, Sri
Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Techno-
logy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Morteza Poorhadi Department of Chemistry,
Faculty of Sciences, Lorestan University,
Khorramabad, Iran
Ramesh Namdeo Pudake Amity Institute of
Nanotechnology, Amity University Uttar
Pradesh, Noida, UP, India
Tong Qunyi State Key Laboratory of Food
Science and Technology, Jiangnan University,
Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
S. Ramkumar Department of Biotechnology, Sri
Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technol-
ogy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Abdur Rehman State Key Laboratory of Food
Science and Technology, Jiangnan University,
Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
Jos
e Rosendo Hernández Resendiz Graduate
and Research Division, Engineering Faculty,
xiv Contributors
Universidad Autónoma de Queretaro, Cerro de
las Campanas, Santiago de Queretaro, Qro,
Mexico
Vartika Rohatgi Amity Institute of Nanotech-
nology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh,
Noida, UP, India
Aryadeep Roychoudhury Department of Bio-
technology, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous),
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Shreya Saha Centre for Nanoscience and Nano-
technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi,
India
Richa Salwan College of Horticulture and For-
estry, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture
& Forestry Neri, Hamirpur, India
Patricio Román Santagapita Department of
Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Exact and Natural
Sciences, University of Buenos Aires; Research
Center in Carbohydrate Chemistry (CIHIDECAR),
National Scientific and Technical Research
Council of Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires,
Argentina
K. Saravana Murali Viral Research and Diag-
nostic Laboratory, Coimbatore Medical Col-
lege, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Nahid Sarlak Department of Chemistry, Fac-
ulty of Sciences, Lorestan University, Khorra-
mabad, Iran
Marta Sendra CSIC, Spanish National Refer-
ence Laboratory for Mollusc Diseases, Institute
of Marine Research (IIM), National Research
Council (CSIC), Vigo, Spain
Luis Alfonso Páramo Serrano Graduate and
Research Division, Engineering Faculty,
Universidad Autónoma de Queretaro, Cerro
de las Campanas, Santiago de Queretaro, Qro,
Mexico
Bhavna Sharma Department of Bioengineering
and Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technol-
ogy, Mesra, Ranchi, India
Rajani Sharma Department of Biotechnology,
Amity University, Ranchi, India
Shubha Rani Sharma Department of Bioengi-
neering and Biotechnology, Birla Institute of
Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, India
Vivek Sharma University Centre for Research
and Development, Chandigarh University,
Ajitgarh, Punjab, India
Mayanglambam ChandraKumar Singh
Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities,
College of Horticulture and Forestry, Central
Agricultural University, Pasighat, Arunachal
Pradesh, India
R. Skymoon Department of Biotechnology, Sri
Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technol-
ogy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Federico Spagnoletti Institute of Agricultural
and Environmental Biosciences Research
(INBA), School of Agriculture, University of
Buenos Aires and National Scientific and Tech-
nical Research Council, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
G. Sri Thatchayani Department of Biotechnol-
ogy, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and
Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
M. Thiruvengadam Department of Applied
Bioscience, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic
of Korea
Miguel Tinoco Spanish National Centre for
Electron Microscopy (CNME), Faculty of
Chemical Sciences, Complutense University
of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
S. Umadevi Translational Research Platform for
Veterinary Biologicals, Tamil Nadu Veterinary
and Animal Sciences University, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, India
Muhammad Usman Beijing Advance Innova-
tion center for Food Nutrition and Human
Health, School of Food and Chemical Technol-
ogy, Beijing Technology and Business Univer-
sity, Beijing, China
Mayank Varun Department of Botany, HISLOP
College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Marı́a Pilar Yeste Department of Materials Sci-
ence, Metallurgical Engineering & Inorganic
Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of
Cadiz, Campus Rı́o San Pedro, Cádiz, Spain
Morteza Yousefzadi Department of Biology,
Faculty of Science, University of Qom, Qom,
Iran
 Contributors xv
Zahra Zahra Department of Civil & Environ- Li Zhao State Key Laboratory of Food Science
mental Engineering, University of California- and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi,
Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States Jiangsu, China
Vahid babie Zareei Department of Chemistry,
Faculty of Sciences, Lorestan University, Khor-
ramabad, Iran
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 C H A P T E R

1
The role of nanotechnology to combat
major recent worldwide challenges
G. Ali Mansoori
Departments of Chemical and Bio-Engineering & Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago,
Chicago, IL, United States

1 Recent problems and efforts towards their solution

1.1 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

Since late 2019 one obvious major concern all around the world has been the problems
associated with the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This disease is certainly
one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century for the whole world. All viruses, including
Coronavirus, are nanoscale entities. Coronavirus has a spherical or elliptic shape (Fig. 1), and
it is said to also assume a pleomorphic (irregular and variant) form at various conditions. It
has a diameter of about 60–140 nm [www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › books › NBK55477] which is close to
the range of nanoscale (1–100 nm) sizes (Mansoori, 2005).
It is not surprising that there has been a great deal of interest in finding applications of the
principles of nanotechnology combined with biology to combat the virus which causes this
disease. In the literature related to developing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, it is stated that
lipid nanoparticles, which had been in the works for decades, are used as delivery vehicles,
accelerating the development of these vaccines to save humans’ lives (Cross, 2021). It is
known that these medical interventions use nanotechnology to mimic nature’s own method
of slipping past the immune system to deliver treatment to target cells (Kulkarni et al., 2020;
Shin et al., 2020). It is recommended that this technology for delivering vaccines into the hu-
man body should be considered by researchers, if the gene-editing system for genetic disease
treatment using CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) tool
(Kato-Inui et al., 2018) is to have any success in the future. While such scientific efforts seem
quite useful in the design of vaccines, there is also a need for reliability studies of the vaccine
effectiveness, similar to what has been done for nano-drug delivery (Ebrahimi and Mansoori,

Nano-enabled Agrochemicals in Agriculture 1 Copyright # 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91009-5.00027-6
2 1. The role of nanotechnology to combat major recent worldwide challenges

60–140 nm
©GAM
FIG. 1 Coronavirus is a nanoscale entity.

2014; Ebrahimi et al., 2016), in regard to its duration of produced immunity and the possible
requirement for its repetition or booster shots.
In addition to efforts to develop vaccines based on nanotechnology, there have been other
recent nanotechnology-based efforts to make people more immune from COVID-19, the
current most important public health problem. In addition to recommendations for social
distancing, we are encouraged to wear facial and possibly hands protection (Fig. 2).
Such requirement against COVID-19 and other surfaces and airborne pathogens brought
about the design and production of nanotechnology-based facial and hands protection.
Nanofibers and nanoparticles have been considered for the design of some face masks to im-
prove their antiviral performance. With the discovery of a variety of nanoparticles (carbon
nanotubes, diamondoids, fullerenes, graphene, gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, silver
nanoparticles, titanium dioxide nanostructures, etc.), there lies a vast field of unsolved med-
ical diagnoses to be reassessed. Before the application of nanoparticles in the design of face
masks and other protective devices, in addition to their role in killing the bacteria and viruses,
it is important to know what happens to a particle once it is free in the body (Hartung and
Mansoori, 2013).
Considering the popularity of graphene, a novel nanomaterial, which has found interesting
applications especially in the opto-electronics area (Kovalev et al., 2021; Liu et al., 2021), some
groups have also considered graphene as a novel nanomaterial that possesses antiviral and
antibacterial properties. Then, there were face masks designed, manufactured, and sold
containing graphene with protection against COVID-19 claims and used by adults and chil-
dren in certain schools and daycares. However, on April 2, 2021, Health Canada, the depart-
ment of the Government of Canada responsible for national health policy, issued an advisory
mentioning “Face masks that contain graphene may pose health risks”. But on July 13, 2021,
issued another advisory update mentioning “Graphene face masks by Shandong Shengquan
New Materials Co. Ltd. can resume sale in Canada; Health Canada found no health risks of

FIG. 2 Facial and hands protection cover.

 1 Recent problems and efforts towards their solution 3
concern with these products” [Face masks that contain graphene may pose health risks - Recalls and
safety alerts (healthycanadians.gc.ca)]. There is still this question “whether graphene-coated
face masks a COVID-19 miracle—or another health risk?” by health professionals
[theconversation.com/are-graphene-coated-face-masks-a-covid-19-miracle-or-another-health-risk-
159422].
That is because there is a potential to inhale graphene particles present in the mask, which
may pose health risks. Carbon atoms at the edges of a graphene sheet (Fig. 3) have special
chemical reactivity if they are not properly reacted. Graphene has the highest ratio of edge
atoms of any allotrope, including its own allotropes which include carbon nanotube, nano-
diamonds, and Fullerene.
Previous studies have shown pristine or unmodified carbon nanotubes can cause pulmo-
nary fibrosis/lung scarring and lung inflammation in animals and cellular models after in-
halation exposure in a similar way as asbestos (Gracian et al., 2009). However, studies
indicate graphene could 1 day be used as an electronic biosensor to make quick, reliable tests
for viruses like SARS-CoV-2. In a recent review (Prattis et al., 2021) investigators looked into
the latest research to find the most exciting potential applications of graphene in point-of-care
tests. This includes diagnostic tests for the virus responsible for COVID-19 but also detecting
other viruses, bacteria, and even cancerous tumors.
It should be mentioned that various investigations have indicated that TiO2 nanostructures
(Khataee and Mansoori, 2011) and silver nanoparticles (Vahabi et al., 2011; Mohammadinejad
et al., 2013), among other nano-systems, are also effective to combat the bacteria and viruses.
Consideration of these and other nanostructures in the design of protective human shields
require careful analysis in terms of efficacy and possible long-term effects on the wearers’ skin
and lungs as well as on the environment (Palmieri et al., 2021).

1.2 Environmental crisis due to fossil fuels combustion

While all the countries around the world are trying to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the
earth’s environment is being damaged due to the excessive amount of fossil fuels combustion
and oversupply of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Mohammed and Mansoori, 2017).

FIG. 3 Graphene has the highest ratio

of edge atoms of any allotrope. C
C C C C C C C
C C C C C C C
0.142 nm
C C C C C C C
C C C C C C C C
C C C C C C C C
C C C C C C C
C C C C C C C
C C C C C C C C Covalent
C C C C C C C C Bond
C C C C C C C
C C C C C C C
C C C C C C C C

Atoms at the edge of a graphene sheet ©GAM

4 1. The role of nanotechnology to combat major recent worldwide challenges

This has made many industrially advanced societies consider abandoning fossil fuels for
combustion and utilize renewable energies. The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Con-
ference (COP21 Paris Agreement) (Fig. 4) provided fundamental guidelines to achieve energy
sufficiency, clean environment, and sustainable sources for countries, states, or communities.
We published a comprehensive book covering the subject of energy sources, utilization,
legislation, and sustainability a year after the COP21 Paris Agreement, which represents a
roadmap to follow its requirements (Mansoori et al., 2016). In the book, there are discussions
on the role of nanotechnology and nanoparticles in improving the sustainability of the energy
industry. Several industrially advanced countries have plans to abandon the use of fossil fuels
combustion and utilize renewable energies. While the technology for small-scale renewable
energies utilization is already available, for its large-scale utilization, storage and transport of
appropriate fuels are required.
In a recent publication (Mansoori et al., 2021) we have studied the potential of various
nonfossil/alternative fuels for large-scale renewable energy sources utilization. Our studies
indicate that the production of biofuels using renewable energies will allow biofuels direct
use in the existing internal combustion engines. Then, there may be no need for major elec-
trification of the transportation industry which will require huge amounts of expensive and
rare materials, such as lithium, and silver to have high-capacity batteries (Mansoori et al.,
2021). However, for the agricultural activities based on which biofuels are produced, there
is a need for ammonia, an important agrochemical since it is the major feed for agricultural
fertilizers. It is interesting to note that ammonia can be also produced using renewable en-
ergies as is demonstrated in Fig. 5. However, there are nanotechnology approaches being
studied for improvement in its production conditions from renewable energies (Li et al.,
2019; Sun et al., 2020). In the production of ammonia, an important agrochemical, from
renewable sources of energy, hydrogen is needed to be produced using renewable energies
(Fig. 5).
There are several efforts underway to apply certain nanomaterials for the improvement of
hydrogen production from renewable energies, as well as its storage and transport in case of
using it as a fuel in the future (Li, 2013; Chen et al., 2021; Sen et al., 2021). The technology for
the storage and transport of ammonia is already available worldwide.

FIG. 4 The 11th Session of the Conference of the

Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto
Protocol (CMP 11) took place from Monday, 30 Nov. to
Friday, 11 Dec. 2015 in Paris le Bourget, France.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Rogue psi
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States
and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
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you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Rogue psi

Author: James H. Schmitz

Illustrator: Virgil Finlay

Release date: November 27, 2023 [eBook #72245]

Language: English

Original publication: New York, NY: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company,

1962

Credits: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed

Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROGUE PSI

***
 ROGUE PSI

By JAMES H. SCHMITZ

Illustrated by FINLAY

How do you trap a man who has the entire world at his mercy?

[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from

Amazing Stories August 1962
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Shortly after noon, a small side door in the faculty restaurant of
Cleaver University opened and a man and a woman stepped out into
the sunlight of the wide, empty court between the building and the
massive white wall opposite it which bordered Cleaver Spaceport.
They came unhurriedly across the court towards a transparent gate
sealing a tunnel passage in the wall.
As they reached the center of the court, a scanning device in the wall
fastened its attention on them, simultaneously checking through a
large store of previously registered human images and data
associated with these. The image approaching it on the left was that
of a slender girl above medium height, age twenty-six, with a
burnished pile of hair which varied from chestnut-brown to copper in
the sun, eyes which appeared to vary between blue and gray, and an
air of composed self-reliance. Her name, the scanner noted among
other details, was Arlene Marguerite Rolf. Her occupation:
micromachinist. Her status: MAY PASS.
Miss Rolf's companion was in his mid-thirties, big, raw-boned and
red-haired, with a formidably bulging forehead, eyes set deep under
rusty beetle-brows, and a slight but apparently habitual scowl. His
name was also on record: Dr. Frank Dean Harding. Occupation:
marine geologist. Status—
At that point, there was an odd momentary hesitancy or blurring in the
scanner's reactions, though not quite pronounced enough to alert its
check-mechanisms. Then it decided: MAY NOT PASS. A large sign
appeared promptly in brilliant red light on the glassy surface of the
wall door.
WARNING—SOMATIC BARRIERS!
Passage Permitted to Listed
Persons Only

The man looked at the sign, remarked dourly, "The welcome mat's
out again! Wonder if the monitor in there can identify me as an
individual."
"It probably can," Arlene said. "You've been here twice before—"
"Three times," Frank Harding corrected her. "The first occasion was
just after I learned you'd taken the veil. Almost two years now, isn't
it?" he asked.
"Very nearly. Anyway, you're registered in the university files, and
that's the first place that would be checked for an unlisted person who
showed up in this court."
Harding glanced over at her. "They're as careful as all that about
Lowry's project?"
"You bet they are," Arlene said. "If you weren't in my company, a
guard would have showed up by now to inform you you're
approaching a restricted area and ask you very politely what your
business here was."
Harding grunted. "Big deal. Is someone assigned to follow you
around when you get off the project?"
She shrugged. "I doubt it. Why should they bother? I never leave the
university grounds, and any secrets should be safe with me here. I'm
not exactly the gabby type, and the people who know me seem to be
careful not to ask me questions about Ben Lowry or myself anyway."
She looked reflective. "You know, I do believe it's been almost six
months since anyone has so much as mentioned diex energy in my
presence!"
"Isn't the job beginning to look a little old after all this time?" Harding
asked.
"Well," Arlene said, "working with Doctor Ben never gets to be boring,
but it is a rather restrictive situation, of course. It'll come to an end by
and by."
Harding glanced at his watch, said, "Drop me a line when that
happens, Arlene. By that time, I might be able to afford an expert
micromachinist myself."
"In a dome at the bottom of some ocean basin?" Arlene laughed.
"Sounds cosy—but that wouldn't be much of an improvement on
Cleaver Spaceport, would it? Will you start back to the coast today?"
"If I can still make the afternoon flight." He took her arm. "Come on. I'll
see you through the somatic barrier first."
"Why? Do you think it might make a mistake about me and clamp
down?"
"It's been known to happen," Harding said gloomily. "And from what I
hear, it's one of the less pleasant ways to get killed."
Arlene said comfortably, "There hasn't been an accident of that kind
in at least three or four years. The bugs have been very thoroughly
worked out of the things. I go in and out here several times a week."
She took a small key from her purse, fitted it into a lock at the side of
the transparent door, twisted it and withdrew it. The door slid
sideways for a distance of three feet and stopped. Arlene Rolf
stepped through the opening and turned to face Harding.
"There you are!" she said. "Barely a tingle! If it didn't want to pass me,
I'd be lying on the ground knotted up with cramps right now. 'By,
Frank! See you again in two or three months, maybe?"
Harding nodded. "Sooner if I can arrange it. Goodby, Arlene."
He stood watching the trim figure walk up the passage beyond the
door. As she came to its end, the door slid silently shut again. Arlene
looked back and waved at him, then disappeared around the corner.
Dr. Frank Harding thrust his hands into his pockets and started back
across the court, scowling absently at nothing.

The living room of the quarters assigned to Dr. Benjamin B. Lowry on

Cleaver Spaceport's security island was large and almost luxuriously
furnished. In pronounced contrast to the adjoining office and work-
rooms, it was also as a rule in a state of comfortable disorder. An
affinity appeared to exist between the complex and the man who had
occupied it for the past two years. Dr. Lowry, leading authority in the
rather new field of diex energy, was a large man of careless and
comfortable, if not downright slovenly personal habits, while a
fiendish precisionist at work.
He was slumped now in an armchair on the end of his spine, fingering
his lower lip and staring moodily at the viewphone field which formed
a pale-yellow rectangle across the living room's entire south wall,
projecting a few inches out into the room. Now and then, his gaze
shifted to a narrow, three-foot-long case of polished hardwood on the
table beside him. When the phone field turned clear white, Dr. Lowry
shoved a pair of rimless glasses back over his nose and sat up
expectantly. Then he frowned.
"Now look here, Weldon—!" he began.
Colors had played for an instant over the luminous rectangle of the
phone field, resolving themselves into a view of another room. A
short, sturdily built man sat at a desk there, wearing a neat business
suit. He smiled pleasantly out of the field at Dr. Lowry, said in a casual
voice, "Relax, Ben! As far as I'm concerned, this is a command
performance. Mr. Green just instructed me to let you know I'd be
sitting in when he took your call."
"Mr. Green did what?"
The man in the business suit said quickly, "He's coming in now, Ben!"
His hand moved on the desk, and he and the room about him faded
to a pale, colorless outline in the field. Superimposed on it appeared
a third room, from which a man who wore dark glasses looked out at
Dr. Lowry.
He nodded, said in a briskly amiable manner, "Dr. Lowry, I received
your message just a minute ago. As Colonel Weldon undoubtedly has
informed you, I asked him to be present during this discussion. There
are certain things to be told you, and the arrangement will save time
all around.
"Now, doctor, as I understand it, the situation is this. Your work on the
project has advanced satisfactorily up to what has been designated
as the Fourth Stage. That is correct, isn't it?"
Dr. Lowry said stiffly, "That is correct, sir. Without the use of a trained
telepath it is unlikely that further significant advances can be made.
Colonel Weldon, however, has seen fit now to introduce certain new
and astonishing conditions. I find these completely unacceptable as
they stand and...."
"You're entirely justified, Dr. Lowry, in protesting against an apparently
arbitrary act of interference with the work you've carried out so
devotedly at the request of your government." One of Mr. Green's
better-known characteristics was his ability to interrupt without leaving
the impression of having done it. "Now, would it satisfy you to know
that Colonel Weldon has been acting throughout as my personal
deputy in connection with the project—and that I was aware of the
conditions you mention before they were made?"

Dr. Lowry hesitated, said, "I'm afraid not. As a matter of fact, I do

know Weldon well enough to take it for granted he wasn't simply
being arbitrary. I...."
"You feel," said Mr. Green, "that there are certain extraneous
considerations involved of which you should have been told?"
Lowry looked at him for a moment. "If the President of the United
States," he said drily, "already has made a final decision in the matter,
I shall have to accept it."
The image in the phone field said, "I haven't."
"Then," Lowry said, "I feel it would be desirable to let me judge
personally whether any such considerations are quite as extraneous
as they might appear to be to...."
"To anybody who didn't himself plan the diex thought projector,
supervise its construction in every detail, and carry out an extensive
series of preliminary experiments with it," Mr. Green concluded for
him. "Well, yes—you may be right about that, doctor. You are
necessarily more aware of the instrument's final potentialities than
anyone else could be at present." The image's mouth quirked in the
slightest of smiles. "In any event, we want to retain your ungrudging
co-operation, so Colonel Weldon is authorized herewith to tell you in
as much detail as you feel is necessary what the situation is. And he
will do it before any other steps are taken. Perhaps I should warn you
that what you learn may not add to your peace of mind. Now, does
that settle the matter to your satisfaction, Dr. Lowry?"
Lowry nodded. "Yes, sir, it does. Except for one detail."
"Yes, I see. Weldon, will you kindly cut yourself out of this circuit. I'll
call you back in a moment."
Colonel Weldon's room vanished from the phone field. Mr. Green
went over to a wall safe, opened it with his back to Dr. Lowry, closed it
again and turned holding up a small, brightly polished metal disk.
"I should appreciate it incidentally," he remarked, "if you would find it
convenient to supply me with several more of these devices."
"I'll be very glad to do it, sir," Dr. Lowry told him, "after I've been
released from my present assignment."
"Yes ... you take no more chances than we do." Mr. Green raised his
right hand, held the disk facing the phone field. After a moment, the
light in Dr. Lowry's living room darkened, turned to a rich, deep
purple, gradually lightened again.
Mr. Green took his hand down. "Are you convinced I'm the person I
appear to be?"
Lowry nodded. "Yes, sir, I am. To the best of my knowledge, there is
no way of duplicating that particular diex effect—as yet."

Arlene Rolf walked rapidly along the passage between the thick inner
and outer walls enclosing Cleaver Spaceport. There was no one in
sight, and the staccato clicking of her high heels on the light-green
marblite paving was the only sound. The area had the overall
appearance of a sun-baked, deserted fortress. She reached a double
flight of shallow stairs, went up and came out on a wide, bare
platform level with the top of the inner wall.
Cleaver Spaceport lay on her left, a twenty-mile rectangle of softly
gleaming marblite absolutely empty except for the narrow white spire
of a control tower near the far side. The spaceport's construction had
been begun the year Arlene was born, as part of the interplanetary
colonization program which a rash of disasters and chronically
insufficient funds meanwhile had brought to an almost complete
standstill. Cleaver port remained unfinished; no space-ship had yet
lifted from its surface or settled down to it.
Ahead and to Arlene's right, a mile and a half of green lawn stretched
away below the platform. Automatic tenders moved slowly across it,
about half of them haloed by the rhythmically circling rainbow sprays
of their sprinklers. In the two years since Arlene had first seen the
lawn, no human being had set foot there. At its far end was a cluster
of low, functional buildings. There were people in those buildings ...
but not very many people. It was the security island where Dr. Lowry
had built the diex projector.
Arlene crossed the platform, passed through the doorless entry of the
building beyond it, feeling the tingle of another somatic barrier as she
stepped into its shadow. At the end of the short hallway was a narrow
door with the words NONSPACE CONDUIT above it. Behind the door
was a small, dimly lit cube of a room. Miss Rolf went inside and sat
down on one of the six chairs spaced along the walls. After a
moment, the door slid quietly shut and the room went dark.
For a period of perhaps a dozen seconds, in complete blackness,
Arlene Rolf appeared to herself to have become an awareness so
entirely detached from her body that it could experience no physical
sensation. Then light reappeared in the room and sensation returned.
She stood up, smoothing down her skirt, and discovered smiling that
she had been holding her breath again. It happened each time she
went through the conduit, and no previous degree of determination to
breathe normally had any effect at all on that automatic reaction. The
door opened and she picked up her purse and went out into a hall
which was large, well-lit and quite different in every respect from the
one by which she had entered.

In the wall screen across the hall, the image of a uniformed man
smiled at her and said, "Dr. Lowry has asked that you go directly to
the laboratory on your return, Miss Rolf."
"Thank you, Max," she said. She had never seen Max or one of the
other project guards in person, though they must be somewhere in
the building. The screen went blank, and she went on down the long,
windowless hall, the sound of her steps on the thick carpeting again
the only break in the quiet. Now, she thought, it was a little like being
in an immaculately clean, well-tended but utterly vacant hotel.

Arlene pressed the buzzer beside the door to Dr. Lowry's quarters
and stood waiting. When the door opened, she started forwards then
stopped in surprise.
"Why, hello, Colonel Weldon," she said. "I didn't realize you would be
on the project today." Her gaze went questioningly past him to Dr.
Lowry who stood in the center of the room, hands shoved deep into
his trousers pockets.
Lowry said wryly, "Come in, Arlene. This has been a surprise to me,
too, and not a pleasant one. On the basis of orders coming directly
from the top—which I have just confirmed, by the way—our schedule
here is to be subjected to drastic rearrangements. They include
among other matters our suspension as the actual operators of the
projector."
"But why that?" she asked startled.
Dr. Lowry shrugged. "Ask Ferris. He just arrived by his personal
conduit. He's supposed to explain the matter to us."
Ferris Weldon, locking the door behind Arlene, said smilingly, "And
please do give me a chance to do just that now, both of you! Let's sit
down as a start. Naturally you're angry ... no one can blame you for it.
But I promise to show you the absolute necessity behind this move."
He waited until they were seated, then added, "One reason—though
not the only reason—for interrupting your work at this point is to avoid
exposing both of you to serious personal danger."
Dr. Lowry stared at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Ben," Ferris Weldon asked, "what was the stated goal of this project
when you undertook it?"
Lowry said stiffly, "To develop a diex-powered instrument which would
provide a means of reliable mental communication with any specific
individual on Earth."
Weldon shook his head. "No, it wasn't."
Arlene Rolf laughed shortly. "He's right, Ben." She looked at Weldon.
"The hypothetical goal of the project was an instrument which would
enable your department telepaths to make positive identification of a
hypothetical Public Enemy Number One ... the same being described
as a 'rogue telepath' with assorted additional qualifications."
Weldon said, "That's a little different, isn't it? Do you recall the other
qualifications?"
"Is that important at the moment?" Miss Rolf asked. "Oh, well ... this
man is also a dangerous and improbably gifted hypnotist. Disturb him
with an ordinary telepathic probe or get physically within a mile or so
of him, and he can turn you mentally upside down, and will do it in a
flash if it suits his purpose. He's quite ruthless, is supposed to have
committed any number of murders. He might as easily be some
unknown as a man constantly in the public eye who is keeping his
abilities concealed.... He impersonates people.... He is largely
responsible for the fact that in a quarter of a century the
interplanetary colonization program literally hasn't got off the
ground...."
She added, "That's as much as I remember. There will be further
details in the files. Should I dig them out?"
"No," Ferris Weldon said. "You've covered most of it."

Dr. Lowry interrupted irritably, "What's the point of this rigmarole,

Weldon? You aren't assuming that either of us has taken your rogue
telepath seriously...."
"Why not?"
Lowry shrugged. "Because he is, of course, one of the government's
blandly obvious fictions. I've no objection to such fictions when they
serve to describe the essential nature of a problem without revealing
in so many words what the problem actually is. In this case, the
secrecy surrounding the project could have arisen largely from a
concern about the reaction in various quarters to an instrument which
might be turned into a thought-control device."
Weldon asked, "Do you believe that is the purpose of your projector?"
"If I'd believed it, I would have had nothing to do with it. I happen to
have considerable confidence in the essential integrity of our
government, if not always in its good sense. But not everyone shares
that feeling."
Ferris Weldon lit a cigarette, flicked out the match, said after a
moment, "But you didn't buy the fiction?"
"Of course not."
Weldon glanced at Miss Rolf. "You, Arlene?"
She looked uneasy. "I hadn't bought it, no. Perhaps I'm not so sure
now—you must have some reason for bringing up the matter here.
But several things wouldn't make sense. If...."
Dr. Lowry interrupted again. "Here's one question, Weldon. If there
did happen to be a rogue telepath around, what interest would he
have in sabotaging the colonization program?"
Weldon blew two perfect smoke rings, regarded their ascent with an
air of judicious approval. "After you've heard a little more you should
be able to answer that question yourself," he said. "It was precisely
the problems connected with the program that put us on the rogue's
trail. We didn't realize it at the time. Fourteen years ago.... Have you
had occasion to work with DEDCOM, Ben?"
Lowry made a snorting sound. "I've had a number of occasions ...
and made a point of passing them up! If the government is now
basing its conclusions on the fantastically unrealistic mishmash of
suggestions it's likely to get from a deducting computer...."
"Well," Ferris Weldon said deprecatingly, "the government doesn't
trust DEDCOM too far, of course. Still, the fact that it is strictly logical,
encyclopedically informed and not hampered by common sense has
produced surprisingly useful results from time to time.
"Now don't get indignant again, Ben! I assure you I'm not being
facetious. The fact is that sixteen years ago the charge that
interplanetary colonization was being sabotaged was frequently
enough raised. It had that appearance from the outside. Whatever
could go wrong had gone wrong. There'd been an unbelievable
amount of blundering."

"Nevertheless, all the available evidence indicated that no organized

sabotage was involved. There was plenty of voluble opposition to the
program, sometimes selfish, sometimes sincere. There were multiple
incidents of forgetfulness, bad timing, simple stupidity. After years of
false starts, the thing still appeared bogged down in a nightmare of—
in the main—honest errors. But expensive ones. The month-by-
month cost of continuing reached ridiculous proportions. Then came
disasters which wiped out lives by the hundreds. The program's
staunchest supporters began to get dubious, to change their minds.
"I couldn't say at the moment which genius in the Department of
Special Activities had the notion to feed the colonization problem to
DEDCOM. Anyway, it was done, and DEDCOM, after due checking
and rumination, not only stated decisively that it was a matter of
sabotage, after all; it further provided us with a remarkably detailed
description of the saboteur...."
Arlene Rolf interrupted. "There had been only one saboteur?"
"Only one who knew what he was doing, yes."
"The rogue telepath?" Dr. Lowry asked.
"Who else?"
"Then if the department has had his description...."
"Why is he still at large?" Ferris Weldon asked, with a suggestion of
grim amusement. "Wait till you hear what it sounded like at the time,
Ben! I'll give it to you from memory.
"Arlene has mentioned some of the points. The saboteur, DEDCOM
informed us, was, first, a hypnotizing telepath. He could work on his
victims from a distance, force them into the decisions and actions he
wanted, leave them unaware that their minds had been tampered
with, or that anything at all was wrong.
"Next, he was an impersonator, to an extent beyond any ordinary
meaning of the word. DEDCOM concluded he must be able to match
another human being's appearance so closely that it would deceive
his model's most intimate associates. And with the use of these two
talents our saboteur had, in ten years, virtually wrecked the
colonization program.
"Without any further embellishments, DEDCOM's report of this
malevolent superman at loose in our society would have raised
official eyebrows everywhere...."
"In particular," Miss Rolf asked, "in the Department of Special
Activities?"
"In particular there," Weldon agreed. "The department's experience
made the emergence of any human supertalents worth worrying
about seem highly improbable. In any event, DEDCOM crowded its
luck. It didn't stop at that point. The problems besetting the
colonization program were, it stated, by no means the earliest
evidence of a rogue telepath in our midst. It listed a string of
apparently somewhat comparable situations stretching back through
the past three hundred years, and declared unequivocally that in
each case the responsible agent had been the same—our present
saboteur."

Weldon paused, watched their expressions changing. A sardonic

smile touched the corners of his mouth.
"All right," Dr. Lowry said sourly after a moment, "to make the thing
even more unlikely, you're saying now that the rogue is immortal."
Weldon shook his head. "I didn't say it ... and neither, you notice, did
DEDCOM. The question of the rogue's actual life span, whatever it
may be, was no part of the matter it had been given to investigate. It
said only that in various ways he had been interfering with mankind's
progress for at least three centuries. But added to the rest of it, that
statement was quite enough."
"To accomplish what?"
"What do you think?" Weldon asked. "The report passed eventually
through the proper hands, was properly initialed, then filed with
DEDCOM's earlier abortions and forgotten. Special Activities
continued, by its more realistic standard investigative procedures, to
attempt to find out what had bogged down the colonization program.
As you're aware, the department didn't make much headway. And
neither has the program."
"The last is very apparent," Lowry said, looking puzzled. "But the fact
that you've failed to solve the problem seems a very poor reason to
go back now to the theory of a rogue telepath."
Weldon blew out a puff of smoke, said thoughtfully, "That wouldn't
have been too logical of us, I agree. But our failure wasn't the reason
for reviving DEDCOM's theory."
"Then what was your reason?" Irritation edged Lowry's voice again.
"The unexpected death, five years ago, of one of the world's better-
known political figures," Weldon said. "You would recognize the name
immediately if I mentioned it. But you will not recognize the
circumstances surrounding his death which I am about to relate to
you, because the report published at the time was a complete
falsehood and omitted everything which might have seemed out of
the ordinary. The man actually was the victim of murder. His corpse
was found floating in the Atlantic. That it should have been noticed at
all was an unlikely coincidence, but the body was fished out and
identified. At that point, the matter acquired some very improbable
aspects because it was well known that this man was still alive and in
the best of health at his home in New York.
"It could have been a case of mistaken identification, but it wasn't.
The corpse was the real thing. While this was being definitely
established, the man in New York quietly disappeared ... and now a
number of people began to take a different view of DEDCOM's long-
buried report of a hypnotizing telepath who could assume the identity
of another person convincingly enough to fool even close friends. It
was not conclusive evidence, but it did justify a serious inquiry which
was promptly attempted."
"Attempted?" Arlene Rolf asked. "What happened?"

"What happened," Weldon said, "was that the rogue declared war on
us. A limited war on the human race. A quiet, undercover war for a
specific purpose. And that was to choke off any kind of investigation
that might endanger him or hamper his activities. The rogue knew he
had betrayed himself; and if he hadn't known of it earlier, he learned
now about the report DEDCOM had made. Those were matters he
couldn't undo. But he could make it very clear that he wanted to be
left undisturbed, and that he had methods to enforce his wishes."
Dr. Lowry blinked. "What could one...."
"Ben," Ferris Weldon said, "if you'll look back, you'll recall that a little
less than five years ago we had ... packed into the space of a few
months ... a series of the grimmest public disasters on record. These
were not due to natural forces—to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods or
the like. No, each and every one of them involved, or might have
involved, a human agency. They were not inexplicable. Individually,
each could be explained only too well by human incompetence,
human lunacy or criminal purpose. But—a giant hotel exploded, a
city's water supply was poisoned, a liner ... yes, you remember.
"Now, notice that the rogue did not strike directly at our investigators.
He did that on a later occasion and under different circumstances, but
not at the time. It indicated that in spite of his immense natural