Carbon quantum dots in plant photosynthesis: from material design to agricultural performance.

Authors

Rishabh, Moushumi Ghosh

Published in

RSC advances. Sep 03, 2026. Epub Sep 03, 2026.

Abstract

Sustainable agricultural intensification requires nanomaterials that regulate plant physiology while improving resource-use efficiency and stress resilience. Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have emerged as photosynthetic nano-regulators because their optical and electronic properties, surface functionality, dispersibility, and compositional flexibility enable control over plant uptake and activity. This review develops a structure-function-performance framework linking CQD physicochemical characteristics, including particle size, surface chemistry, optical properties, and heteroatom doping, with transport and photosynthetic regulation. Five interconnected mechanisms are identified: enhanced electron transport, improved light harvesting and spectral conversion, redox homeostasis and antioxidant regulation, chlorophyll biosynthesis and protection, and enhanced carbon fixation. Their evidentiary strength varies, with chloroplast-level evidence providing the strongest support for CQD-mediated electron-transport enhancement, whereas the other mechanisms are supported primarily by physiological, biochemical, photochemical, molecular, and transcriptomic observations. Multi-omics studies further indicate that CQD responses extend beyond photosynthesis into nutrient acquisition, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and stress adaptation. Reported applications include seed priming, photosynthetic enhancement, abiotic-stress mitigation, nutrient-use efficiency, and spectral-conversion strategies. However, limited long-term field validation, and uncertainties surrounding scalability, economic viability, environmental fate, and soil-climate dependence remain major barriers to agricultural translation. This review identifies mechanistic gaps and priorities for developing reproducible, environmentally responsible CQD technologies.

PMID:
42694804
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 04 Sep 2026.

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