Carbon nanotubes in agriculture: Production, potential, and prospects

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNT), which are unique tubular nanostructures, are one of the potential carbon nanomaterials that have been extensively utilized in agriculture, biofuel, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, electronics, pulping, and enzyme industries. It is due to their architecture; the carbon network of the shells is closely related to the honeycomb arrangement of the carbon atoms in the graphite sheets. It leads to the efficient mechanical and electronic properties of CNT structure. Based on the structure, CNTs are divided into two major parts: single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). In agriculture, there has been great interest in the use of CNTs. However, the literature discloses the mixed effects of CNT exposure on plants, increasing crop yield on one hand, while causing acute cytotoxicity in plants, on the other hand. This chapter evaluates the effect of CNTs on plants as well as on plant-associated microbes. Thus, the efforts need to be focused on better understanding of the underlying mechanism of CNT-plant interactions.