Nanomaterials for urban farming

• Main Author: Chia, Raymond Yu Fan
• Other Authors: Hu Xiao
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/138773
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Although Nanocarbon dots (NCD) are extensively studied in bioscience while bioimaging and chitosan are widely studied in the delivery system and antibacterial properties, there are limited studies on the impact of the growth of plants using carbon dots (CDs) and Chitosan. The objective of this experiment is to study how CD and chitosan influence the growth of the plant at varying concentrations. Axonopus compressus (Cow grass), a type of horticultural waste, is used as the starting material. CD is derived using the one-step hydrothermal process. Chitosan, a deacetylated product of chitin, can be obtained from shells of shrimp and other crustaceans. Firstly, a simple characterization of CDs and chitosan is being studied through identifying functional groups of both CDs and Chitosan using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR). Additionally, UV-Vis Absorption and Fluorescence Emission of CDs are measured using a UV-Vis spectrometer and Cary Eclipse Fluorescence Spectrophotometer. Furthermore, studies on the surface tension of CD and chitosan are then measured using the pendant drop method. Lastly, Zeta potential of CD and Chitosan is studied, and hydrodynamic diameter is measured using Malvern Nanosizer. An In Vivo experiment was conducted on mung beans where the result obtained revealed a promising potential in 0.5mg/ml CD that induces the best physiological growth and uptake of water. The success of inducing physiological growth and an increase in water uptake can greatly benefit urban farming by increasing the rate of harvest.