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Carbon nanotubes among diesel exhaust particles, real samples or contaminants?
Carbon nanotubes among diesel exhaust particles, real samples or contaminants?
Jung, Millar, Park, Kittelson, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association 63 (10): 1199-1204, 2013
Abstract
During three separate studies involving characterization of diesel particulate matter, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were found among diesel exhaust particles sampled onto transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids. During these studies, samples were collected from three different diesel engines at normal operating conditions with or without an iron catalyst (introduced as ferrocene) in the fuel. The paper is to report the authors’ observation of CNTs among diesel exhaust particles, with the intent to stimulate awareness and further discussion regarding the formation mechanism of CNTs during diesel combustion.
The synthesis of nanotubes requires three essential elements heat, sources of carbon, and a metal catalyst. A catalyst seeded flame environment including these elements does not necessarily form CNTs because their synthesis requires very specific conditions. In the paper they report that a diesel engine may inadvertently fulfil the conditions leading to CNT formation under certain engine conditions.
Plant nanobionics approach to augment photosynthesis and biochemical sensing
Plant nanobionics approach to augment photosynthesis and biochemical sensing
Giraldo, Landry, Faltermeier, McNicholas, Iverson, Boghossian, Reuel, Hilmer, Sen, Brew, Strano; Dept of Chemical Engineering, MIT, CIT
Nature Materials, VOL 13, April 2014. www.nature.com/naturematerials
The interface between plant organelles and non biological nanostructures has the potential to impart organelles with new and enhanced functions. Here, we show that single walled carbon nonotubes (SWCNTs) passively transport and irreversibly localize within the lipid envelope of extracted plant chloroplasts, promote over 3 times higher photosynthetic activity than that of controls,and enhance maximum electron transport rates. The SWNT choroplast assemblies also enable higher rates of leaf electron transport in vivo through a mechanism consistent with augmented photoabsorption.
Conclusion
Nanotechnology has the potential to enable new and enhanced functional properties in photosynthetic organelles and organisms for the enhancement of solar energy harnessing and biochemical sensing
Carbon Nanomaterials: production, impact on plant development, Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture.
Carbon Nanomaterials: production, impact on plant development, Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture.
Institute of Crop Science, Hohenheim University.
Review on the different types of carbon based nanomaterials, major production techniques and important trends for agricultural and environmental applications.
All structures are at atomic level
- Fullerenes, spherical molecules and highly symmetrical
- Carbon Nanotubes, a cylindrical structure. Can be single or multiwalled and vary in length. The structure leads to exceptional properties combining strength, rigidity and elasticity, higher thermal and electrical conductivity.
- Graphene – two dimensional sheets of single layers of carbon atoms
Goes onto describe potential applications of carbon based nano materials
- Increasing crop yields
- Plant protection
In particular it describes and summarises CNTs impact on plants
Germination- stimulatory effects of CNTs have been reported for a wide range of crops. Possible accelerated water flow into the seed has been related with the ability of the CNTs to perforate the seed coat and encourage water uptake.
Plant growth and development – during seedling development and early growth, positive effects of CNTs on root and shoot elongation have been reported for a range of plant species.
Carbon Nanotubes influence the enzyme activity of biogeochemical cycles of carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Pathogenesis of Plants in Annual Agrecosystems.
Carbon Nanotubes influence the enzyme activity of biogeochemical cycles of carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Pathogenesis of Plants in Annual Agrecosystems.
OB Vaishlya, N N Osipov, NV Guseva
National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lenin Av. 30, Tomsk, 634050, Russia
We conducted pre-sowing seed treatment of spring wheat carbon nanotubes (CNT) modified with thionyl chloride, ethylene diamine, azobenzole and dodecylamine. CNTs did not disrupt the structure of the crop, but the activity of extracellular enzymes in rhizosphere of plants in the flowering stage changed.
High Lights from paper
The analysis of the biological aspects of safe application of CNTs for strategic grain crops is of particular importance.
There is no unequivocal opinion on this point, in both single and multi-walled CNTs with azo-group increased the enzyme activity in the soil.
Perhaps just the ability of CNTs to work in a cell plasma membrane as a water pump is one of the reasons why the infection of root rots in wheat seedlings treated by CNTs is decreasing.
Complex genetic, photothermal, and photoacoustic analysis of nanoparticle-plant interactions
Complex genetic, photothermal, and photoacoustic analysis of nanoparticle-plant interactions
PNAS, January 18 2011, Vol 108, No 3
Discussion
In this multidisciplinary work, we proved that the interaction of multi-walled Carbon Nano tubes (CNTs) with the cells of tomato seedlings resulted in significant changes in total gene expression. The groups of genes with altered expression were identified in the roots and leaves of tomato plants growing on a medium supplemented with CNTs. The exposure of tomato cells to CNTs can lead to the activation of many stress related genes including the gene for tomato water channel protein. IN addition our data demonstrated that the up-regulation of the expression of the water channel’s gene in CNY-exposed roots and leaves can have a significant impact on the observed phenomena of activation, enhanced germination, and growth of tomato seedlings on a medium supplemented with CNTs.