A research team in China has successfully developed a carbon-based nanomaterial derived from agricultural waste biomass that can enhance plant photosynthesis and stimulate crop growth.
This breakthrough was achieved by scientists from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, alongside researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Their findings were published in the journal Communications Materials.
The novel material, known as carbon quantum dots, utilises organic waste products such as straw, leaves, and weeds as a basis for its synthesis. According to the study, these quantum dots have the capability to convert ultraviolet light—which is typically not absorbed by plants—and green light, which is absorbed with low efficiency, into red light. This transformation allows for more efficient light absorption by plants, significantly improving the effectiveness of photosynthesis. The research explains that the carbon quantum dots achieve this by exciting electrons from the absorbed photons, thus supplying additional electrons to the photosynthetic electron transport chain.
In experimental settings, the researchers incorporated the nanomaterial into the liquid culture medium of cyanobacteria and also applied it directly to plants. The results indicated a promising increase in growth and CO2 fixation rates: the glycerol-producing cyanobacteria exhibited a 2.4-fold increase in their CO2 fixation rate, accompanied by a 2.2-fold surge in glycerol production. Meanwhile, the biomass of the model plant Arabidopsis was enhanced by 1.8 times.
The study outlines further advantages of this material, highlighting its low production cost and high biocompatibility, which suggest it could play a vital role in future agricultural practices as well as in solar-powered biomanufacturing processes. Initial experiments have also indicated its efficacy in promoting the growth of various plants, including duckweed, peanuts, corn, and soybeans.
Moving forward, the research team has expressed intentions to conduct further field experiments to validate the potential of the carbon quantum dots in real-world agricultural scenarios. This development may offer a promising direction for enhancing crop productivity while simultaneously addressing some of the challenges associated with agricultural sustainability.
