Synthetic carbon nanobionic interfaces for enhancement of plant photosynthetic efficiency

Kotoulas, KT, Hinton, T, Zachariadis, M, Kinman, G, Spyrou, K, Hall, J, Morris, RH ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5511-3457, Kaloudi, AS, Jiang, Y, Burrows, AD, Cave, GWV ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4167-1332 and Xie, M, 2026. Synthetic carbon nanobionic interfaces for enhancement of plant photosynthetic efficiency. ACS Agricultural Science and Technology. ISSN 2692-1952

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Abstract

Boosting the photosynthetic efficiency remains a critical challenge for sustainable crop productivity. In this study, the design, synthesis, and functional evaluation of two carbon-based nanomaterials are reported: a fluorescent carbon nanoassembly (Compound 1) derived from citric acid and urea, and a cerium-incorporated variant (Compound 2) incorporating redox-active cerium oxide domains. Comprehensive characterization confirmed the formation of nanostructured materials with tunable optical properties, surface functionalities, and crystalline features. Both compounds exhibited strong UV-A absorbance and blue photoluminescence, with Compound 2 showing enhanced emission and additional red-shifted features due to cerium integration. Greenhouse trials usingRaphanus sativus as a model plant revealed significant improvements in biomass, pigment concentration, and ascorbic acid levels in the treated plants. Confocal microscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry confirmed nanoparticle uptake and translocation, while flow cytometry revealed altered chloroplast fluorescence, supporting functional interaction at the organelle level. Together, these results establish carbon-based nanobionics as a promising platform for photonic enhancement of photosynthesis, offering new opportunities for advanced bioagricultural applications.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	ACS Agricultural Science and Technology
Creators:	Kotoulas, K.T., Hinton, T., Zachariadis, M., Kinman, G., Spyrou, K., Hall, J., Morris, R.H., Kaloudi, A.S., Jiang, Y., Burrows, A.D., Cave, G.W.V. and Xie, M.
Publisher:	American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date:	16 March 2026
ISSN:	2692-1952
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1021/acsagscitech.5c01183 DOI 2594039 Other
Rights:	© 2026 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This article is licensed under CC-BY 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Melissa Cornwell
Date Added:	18 Mar 2026 14:38
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2026 14:38
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55440

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