Controlled fungicide delivery in response to the specific microenvironment produced by fungal pathogens is an advisable strategy to improve the efficacy of fungicides. Herein, we construct a smart fungicide nanoplatform, using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as nanocarriers loaded with eugenol (EU) and Ag+ coordinated polydopamine (Ag+-PDA) as a coating to form Ag+-PDA@MSNs-EU NPs for Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea) control. As a botanical fungicide, EU offers an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fungicides and can upregulate several defense-related genes in the tomato plant. The Ag+-PDA coating can lock the EU inside the nanocarriers and respond to the oxalic acid produced by B. cinerea to co-release the loaded EU and Ag+. The results demonstrate that Ag+-PDA@MSNs-EU NPs could effectively inhibit the mycelial growth of B. cinerea on detached and potted tomato leaves. The construction of such a smart fungicide nanoplatform provides new guidance to design controlled fungicides release systems, which can respond to the microenvironment associated with plant pathogen to realize fungus control.

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