Recent Advances in Plant Nanoscience

Abstract

Plants have complex internal signaling pathways to quickly adjust to environmental changes and harvest energy from the environment. Facing the growing population, there is an urgent need for plant transformation and precise monitoring of plant growth to improve crop yields. Nanotechnology, an interdisciplinary research field, has recently been boosting plant yields and meeting global energy needs. In this context, a new field, "plant nanoscience," which describes the interaction between plants and nanotechnology, emerges as the times require. Nanosensors, nanofertilizers, nanopesticides, and nano-plant genetic engineering are of great help in increasing crop yields. Nanogenerators are helping to develop the potential of plants in the field of energy harvesting. Furthermore, the uptake and internalization of nanomaterials in plants and the possible effects are also worthy of attention. In this review, a forward-looking perspective on the plant nanoscience is presented and feasible solutions for future food shortages and energy crises are provided.

Keywords: nanocarriers; nanofertilizers; nanogenerators; nanopesticides; nanosensors; nanotoxicology; plant nanoscience.

Figure 1

The plant nanoscience.

Figure 2

Nanosensors for plant monitoring.

Figure 3

Flexible and wearable nanosensors for in vitro plant growth monitoring. a) Images of the all‐in‐one wearable device for plant growth measurement. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 2 ]} Copyright 2019, Elsevier Ltd. b) Photo of the GO‐based flexible humidity nanosensor that attached to the surface of a leaf. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 67 ]} Copyright 2020, Elsevier Ltd. c) Schematic diagram of the multifunctional stretchable sensor on a leaf and the top view of the leaf sensor. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 68 ]} Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society. d) The process of the vapor coating living plants with functional polymer films. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 69 ]} Copyright 2019, American Association for the Advancement of Science. e) Photo (left), an optical microscope image (right), and the I–V characteristic (inset) of SWCNTs/graphite arrays laminated onto surface of a live leaf. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 72 ]} Copyright 2014, American Chemical Society.

Figure 4

Nanosensors for in vivo plant growth monitoring. a) Schematic diagram of the spontaneous growth of AuPt NPs on flexible MoS₂ paper and the application in the determination of H₂O₂. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 94 ]} Copyright 2020, Elsevier Ltd. b) In vivo plant sensing set‐up where a leaf infiltrated with SWCNTs was excited by a 785 nm epifluorescence microscope (left). The 20‐fold magnification view of SWCNTs inside a leaf before and after the addition of 20 µL dissolved NO solution, where three SWCNTs regions were circled (right). Reproduced with permission.^{[ 98 ]} Copyright 2014, Nature Publishing Group. c) Photo of the stainless steel microelectrode to monitor IAA in the stem of soybean. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 111 ]} Copyright 2019, Elsevier Ltd. d) Schematic diagram of in vivo glucose sensing and standoff imaging by QD fluorescent probe through a Raspberry Pi camera. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 128 ]} Copyright 2018, American Chemical Society.

Figure 5

Nanofertilizers for plant growth.

Figure 6

Nanopesticides for plant protection.

Figure 7

Nanomaterials‐based gene delivery platform. a) The infiltration of leaves with pDNA‐PEI‐SWCNTs. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 230 ]} Copyright 2019, Nature Publishing Group. b) The process of pDNA‐SWCNT complexes enter the mesophyll through stomata, traverse plant cell walls, plasma membranes, and finally enter the chloroplast bilayers. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 39 ]} Copyright 2019, Nature Publishing Group. c) Schematic diagram of the DNA nanostructure synthesis and the plant infiltration workflow. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 213 ]} Copyright 2019, National Academy of Sciences. d) Images showing the extent of necrotic lesions on N. tabacum cv. Xanthi leaves challenged with PMMoV after 5 days and 20 days post spray treatment. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 252 ]} Copyright 2017, Nature Publishing Group.

Figure 8

Nanogenerators based on plant.

Figure 9

Using plants to capture mechanical energy from the environment. a) Schematic diagram of the major structural features of the cuticle and underlying epidermal cell layer. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 268 ]} Copyright 2013, American Society of Plant Biologists. b) Tree‐shaped energy harvester assembled with natural Leaf‐TENG. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 47 ]} Copyright 2018, Wiley‐VCH. c) The photo of energy‐harvesting vines. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 274 ]} Copyright 2018, Wiley‐VCH. d) The discrete liquid–solid contact electrification on the natural lotus leaf surface. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 48 ]} Copyright 2017, Elsevier Ltd. e) Photo of an integrated self‐charging device attached to the crop leaf. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 49 ]} Copyright 2020, Elsevier Ltd.

Figure 10

The possible adverse effects of nanomaterials in plants. a) Different ways that plants are exposed to nanomaterials. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 50 ]} Copyright 2020, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. b) Schematic illustration of the uptake of nanoplastics in an Arabidopsis root and the plant defense mechanisms that are induced. Reproduced with permission.^{[ 295 ]} Copyright 2020, Nature Publishing Group.