A review on the effects of carbon dots in the plant system

Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs), a novel member of the renowned carbon-based nanomaterials family, have gained tremendous attention in various fields. Their extraordinary properties, including facile synthesis procedure, photoluminescence, biocompatibility, tunable surface functionalities, water solubility and low toxicity, have introduced them extensively in biological applications, such as bioimaging, biosensor, photocatalysis and molecule delivery. Recently, CDs attracted significant interest in agriculture to improve the growth and production of plants and have received great progress. Here, we will review the interaction of CDs with plant systems for the first time, including the symptomatic plant growth, internal physiological process and other external factors involved in plant growth. Furthermore, the current challenges and future perspective of CDs in the field of agriculture are discussed. Looking forward it indicates that CDs might be an important part in the future agriculture.