Root uptake and phytotoxicity of nanosized molybdenum octahedral clusters

Here are examined the root uptake and phytotoxicity of octahedral hexamolybdenum clusters on rapeseed plants using the solid state compound Cs(2)Mo(6)Br(14) as cluster precursor. [Mo(6)Br(14)](2-) cluster units are nanosized entities offering a strong and stable emission in the near-infrared region with numerous applications in biotechnology. To investigate cluster toxicity on rapeseed plants, two different culture systems have been set up, using either a water-sorbing suspension of cluster aggregates or an ethanol-sorbing solution of dispersed nanosized clusters. Size, shape, surface area and state of clusters in both medium were analyzed by FE-SEM, BET and XPS. The potential contribution of cluster dissolution to phytotoxicity was evaluated by ICP-OES and toxicity analysis of Mo, Br and Cs. We showed that the clusters did not affect seed germination but greatly inhibited plant growth. This inhibition was much more important when plants were treated with nanosized entities than with microsized cluster aggregates. In addition, nanosized clusters affected the root morphology in a different manner than microsized cluster aggregates, as shown by FE-SEM observations. The root penetration of the clusters was followed by secondary ion mass spectroscopy with high spatial resolution (NanoSIMS) and was also found to be much more important for treatments with nanosized clusters.