Physical, chemical, and biological routes of synthetic titanium dioxide nanoparticles and their crucial role in temperature stress tolerance in plants

Abstract

Nanotechnology is attracting significant attention worldwide due to its applicability across various sectors. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are among the key nanoparticles (NPs) that have gained extensive practical use and can be synthesized through a wide range of physical, chemical, and green approaches. However, TiO₂NPs have attracted a significant deal of interest due to the increasing demand for enhancing the endurance to abiotic stresses such as temperature stress. In this article, we discuss the effects of temperature stresses such as low (4 °C) and high temperatures (35 °C) on TiO₂NPs. Due to climate change, low and high temperature stress impair plant growth and development. However, there are still many aspects of how plants respond to low and high temperature stress and how they influence plant growth under TiO₂NPs treatments which are poorly understood. TiO₂NPs can be utilized efficiently for plant growth and development, particularly under temperature stress, however the response varies according to type, size, shape, dose, exposure time, metal species, and other variables. It has been demonstrated that TiO₂NPs are effective at enhancing the photosynthetic and antioxidant systems of plants under temperature stress. This analysis also identifies key knowledge gaps and possible future perspectives for the reliable application of TiO₂NPs to plants under abiotic stress.

Keywords: Environment; Nanoparticles; Reactive oxygen species; Synthesis; Temperature stress; Titanium dioxide.

Fig. 1

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs) synthesis through different physical, chemical and biological approaches. Created in Biorender.

Fig. 2

A schematic shows the TiO₂NPs impact on the low and high temperature stress in plants. Created in Biorender.