Sunlight Broad Spectrum-Capturing Nanophotofertilizer for Plant Growth Multiregulation and Second Near-Infrared...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Plant Science
• Photochemistry

Background:

• Nanophotonics can improve plant photosynthesis but face challenges in light capture and electron transfer.
• Lanthanide-doped nanoparticles (LPs) offer potential for light manipulation in biological systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a nanophotofertilizer (LPs@SiCeMn) for enhanced plant photosynthesis and multiregulation.
• To utilize LPs for red upconversion/downconversion emissions and bioimaging.
• To improve light harvesting and electron transfer efficiency for plant growth.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized lanthanide-doped nanoparticles (LPs) with red and NIR-II emissions.
• Coated LPs with Ce/Mn-doped mesoporous silica (SiO2) to create LPs@SiCeMn nanophotofertilizer.
• Investigated LPs@SiCeMn for photocatalysis, reactive oxygen species scavenging, and plant growth promotion in *N. benthamiana*.

Main Results:

• LPs@SiCeMn exhibited red and 1525 nm emissions upon 980 nm excitation.
• Ce/Mn co-doping in SiO2 shell reduced band gap for efficient red light absorption.
• Foliar application of LPs@SiCeMn (100 μg mL-1) increased electron transport rate by 26.8% and net photosynthetic rate by 36.9%.
• Significant increases in fresh biomass (88.2%) and dry biomass (43.7%) were observed.

Conclusions:

• Sunlight broad-spectrum-capturing nanophotofertilizer (LPs@SiCeMn) effectively regulates plant growth.
• This approach holds promise for precise and sustainable agriculture through enhanced photosynthesis and bioimaging capabilities.