Conjugated polymer nanoparticles boosting growth and photosynthesis in biohybrid plants

Abstract

Engineered nanomaterials integrated into photosynthetic systems could pave the way to new, exciting avenues towards biohybrid systems and renewable energy sources. Here, a biohybrid plant developed through the integration of poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanoparticles (P3HT-NPs) in Arabidopsis thaliana plants is presented. P3HT-NPs were used to enhance plant solar radiation absorption, with a spectrophotometric profile matching chlorophyll absorbance. The P3HT-NP-engineered biohybrid plants showed a 45% increase in root length, corresponding to a relevant enhancement in biomass production of up to 17% compared to the control group. The presented biohybrid plant might open a new route for improving CO2 capture and oxygen production, underscoring the transformative potential of combining nanomaterials with plant biology, and paving the way for novel biohybrid nano-engineered renewable energy sources.