New strategy of sustainable development: Interface process exploration between Mikania-derived carbon dots and sesame growth

Mikania, a well-accepted invasive plant in nature, has been difficult to be completely removed even based on chemical herbicides. Moreover, the employment of chemical herbicides will lead to hazardous results to health or environment. In this study, the whole-new carbon polymer quantum dots (CPDs) have been afforded in the light of Mikania as the carbon source. Moreover, sesame has been selected as a plant model and the effect of such kind of nanoscale fertilizer on its growth has been explored. Results support that CPDs at a concentration of 0–0.4 mg/mL possess a physiological response to the germination and no toxicity has been observed. Confocal images demonstrate that CPDs can spread through the roots of sesame seeds to the stems and leaves. The utilization of micrantha-derived carbon quantum dots with fluorescence characteristics in the growth of sesame will give rise to new ideas for waste-plant management and biological control, and strengthen the importance of nanomaterials in related fields.