Impact of photoluminescent carbon quantum dots on photosynthesis efficiency of rice and corn crops.
Tan Tong Ling,Zulkifli Noor Atiqah,Zaman Alif Syafiq Kamarol,Jusoh Mashitah Binti,Yaapar Muhammad Nazmin,Rashid Suraya Abdul
Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
Photosynthesis is one of the most fundamental biochemical processes on earth such that it is vital to the existence of most lives on this planet. In fact, unravelling the potentials in enhancing photosynthetic efficiency and electron transfer process, which are thought to improve plant growth is one of the emerging approaches in tackling modern agricultural shortcomings. In light of this, zero-dimensional carbon quantum dots (CQD) have emerged and garnered much interest in recent years which can enhance photosynthesis by modulating the associated electron transfer process. In this work, CQD was extracted from empty fruit bunch (EFB) biochar using a green acid-free microwave method. The resulting CQD was characterized using HRTEM, PL, UV-Vis and XPS. Typical rice (C) and corn (C) crops were selected in the present study in order to compare the significant effect of CQD on the two different photosynthetic pathways of crops. CQD was first introduced into crop via foliar spraying application instead of localised placement of CQD before seedling development. The influence of CQD on the photosynthetic efficiency of rice (C) and corn (C) leaves was determined by measuring both carbon dioxide conversion and the stomatal conductance of the leaf. As a result, the introduction of CQD greatly enhanced the photosynthesis in CQD-exposed crops. This is the first study focusing on phylogenetically constrained differences in photosynthetic responses between C and C crops upon CQD exposure, which gives a better insight into the understanding of photosynthesis process and shows considerable promise in nanomaterial research for sustainable agriculture practices.
10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.03.031
Recent developments, applications and challenges for carbon quantum dots as a photosynthesis enhancer in agriculture.
RSC advances
Since the world's population is expanding, mankind may be faced with a huge dilemma in the future, which is food scarcity. The situation can be mitigated by employing sustainable cutting-edge agricultural methods to maintain the food supply chain. In recent years, carbon quantum dots (CQD), a member of the well-known carbon-based nanomaterials family, have given rise to a new generation of technologies that have the potential to revolutionise horticulture and agriculture research. CQD has drawn much attention from the research community in agriculture owing to their remarkable properties such as good photoluminescence behaviour, high biocompatibility, photo-induced electron transfer, low cost, and low toxicity. These unique properties have led CQD to become a promising material to increase plant growth and yield in the agriculture field. This review paper highlights the recent advances of CQD application in plant growth and photosynthesis rate at different concentrations, with a focus on CQD uptake and translocation, as well as electron transfer mechanism. The toxicity and biocompatibility studies of CQD, as well as industrial scale applications of CQD for agriculture are discussed. Finally, the current challenges of the present and future perspectives in this agriculture research are presented.
10.1039/d3ra01217d
Altering natural photosynthesis through quantum dots: effect of quantum dots on viability, light harvesting capacity and growth of photosynthetic organisms.
Functional plant biology : FPB
Quantum dots are versatile fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals with unique photophysical properties. They have been used in various research fields of biotechnology effectively for almost three decades including cell imaging, protein tracking, energy transfer, etc. With their great potential as energy donors or acceptors, quantum dots have also been used in many studies about altering growth rate and photosynthetic activity of photosynthetic organisms by manipulating their light harvesting capacity. In this review, effect of quantum dots on growth rate of photosynthetic organisms and light harvesting capacity of photosynthetic organisms were discussed in details together with toxic effects of cadmium-based and carbon-based quantum dots on photosynthetic organisms. In short, as one of the promising materials of nanotechnology, quantum dots have become one of the essential research topics in photosynthesis research area and will help researchers to manipulate natural photosynthesis in future.
10.1071/FP21136
Green synthesis of carbon quantum dots and their environmental applications.
Environmental research
Green synthesis of scalable, high-quality, fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from natural biomass remains attractive due to their outstanding environmental application. CQDs are an emerging class of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterials (<10 nm) that have recently attracted much attention due to their strong optical properties, biocompatibility, nontoxicity, uniform particle size, high photostability, low-cost synthesis, and highly tunable photoluminescence. The unique properties of CQDs possess a broad range of prospective applications in a number of fields such as metal ions detection, photocatalysis, sensing, medical diagnosis, bioimaging, and drug delivery. CQD nanostructures are synthesized using various techniques such as hydrothermal method, laser ablation, microwave irradiation, electrochemical oxidation, reflux method, and ultrasonication. However, this type of fabrication approach requires several chemical reactions including oxidation, carbonization, and pyrolysis. Green synthesis of CQDs has several advantages such as the use of low-cost and non-toxic raw materials, renewable resources, simple operations, and being environment-friendly. This review article will discuss the physicochemical properties of CQDs techniques used in the production of CQDs, and the stability of CQDs along with their applications in wastewater treatment and biomedical fields.
10.1016/j.envres.2022.113283
Carbon quantum dots: recent progresses on synthesis, surface modification and applications.
Farshbaf Masoud,Davaran Soodabeh,Rahimi Fariborz,Annabi Nasim,Salehi Roya,Akbarzadeh Abolfazl
Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology
Generally, carbon nanoparticles with a size of 10 nm (or less) are called carbon quantum dots (CQDs, C-dots or CD), which have created huge excitement due to their advantages in chemical inertness, high water solubility, excellent biocompatibility, resistance to photobleaching and various optical superiority. In this article, we describe the recent advancements in the area of CQDs; concentrating on their synthesis techniques, size control, surface modification approaches, optical properties, luminescent mechanism, and their applications in bioimaging, biosensing, drug delivery and catalysis.
10.1080/21691401.2017.1377725
Engineering Semiconductor Quantum Dots for Selectivity Switch on High-Performance Heterogeneous Coupling Photosynthesis.
ACS nano
Semiconductor-based photoredox catalysis brings an innovative strategy for sustainable organic transformation (e.g., C-C/C-X bond formation), via radical coupling under mild conditions. However, since semiconductors interact with photogenerated radicals unselectively, the precise control of selectivity for such organic synthesis by steering radical conversion is extremely challenging. Here, by the judicious design of a structurally well-defined and atomically dispersed cocatalyst over semiconductor quantum dots, we demonstrate the precise selectivity switch on high-performance selective heterogeneous coupling photosynthesis of a C-C bond or a C-N bond along with hydrogen production over the Ni-oxo cluster and single Pd atom-decorated CdS quantum dots crafted onto the SiO support. Mechanistic studies unveil that the Ph(CH)NH and PhCHNH act as dominant radical intermediates for such divergent organic synthesis of C-C coupled vicinal diamines and C-N coupled imines, as respectively enabled by Ni-oxo clusters assisted radical-radical coupling and single Pd atom-assisted radical addition-elimination. This work overcomes the pervasive difficulties of selectivity regulation in semiconductor-based photochemical synthesis, highlighting a vista of utilizing atomically dispersed cocatalysts as active sites to maneuver unselective radical conversion by engineering quantum dots toward selective heterogeneous photosynthesis.
10.1021/acsnano.2c08652