Nicotiana tabacum growth promotion by water oxidation modulated artificial photosynthesis with Ru-Oxo clusters decorated g-C3N4 nanosheets

The shortage of fossil energy and the increase in environmental pollution raise an ever-growing desire for the efficient utilization of solar energy. Natural photosynthesis, which involves both light and dark reactions, is one of the most successful processes for plants to utilize solar energy. However, the low conversion efficiency of sunlight results in low photosynthesis efficiency. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an environmentally friendly and controllable technology to improve photosynthesis efficiency, thereby promoting plant growth. Artificial photosynthesis is highly desired to enhance natural photosynthesis through enhanced photoelectron transfer from photocatalysts to natural photosystems. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄ or CN), a biocompatible organic polymer semiconductor, has emerged as a promising candidate for boosting natural photosynthesis. However, the intrinsic lack of catalytic sites makes it challenging for CN to produced long-lifetime photoelectrons from the sluggish water oxidation reaction. In addition, the compact interaction between the photocatalyst and plant leaves is crucial for achieving the effective transfer of photoelectrons.

Recently, a research team headed by Professor Liqiang Jing (Heilongjiang University) successfully designed and synthesized ultra-small Ru-Oxo clusters anchored g-C₃N₄ nanosheets (Ru-COS-CN) and foliar applied to enhance photosynthesis of tobacco for the first time. The tobacco growth exhibited a positive correlation with the water oxidation performance of the photocatalysts, leading to the growth promotion of 36.1%, 36.8%, 27.4%, and 15.9% per 10 days for average fresh weight, dry weight, plant length, and leaf area with Ru-COS-CN treatment, respectively. The exceptional promotion is attributed to the long-lifetime photoelectrons produced from the extended range of solar light and the accelerated photocatalytic water oxidation by means of in situ µs-transient absorption spectra and the time-resolved surface photovoltage responses, as well as to the effective electron transfer to the tobacco chloroplast.

“The dual roles of chitosan oligomers (COS) as a coordination agent for anchoring the ultra-small Ru-Oxo clusters and as a binder that establishes a tightly connected interface with plant leaves, contribute to accelerated water oxidation process and enhanced electron transfer.” said Prof. Jing.

The findings provide a promising strategy to enhance the photosynthetic efficiency and improving crop yields by engineering photocatalysts with improved sunlight utilization and robust water oxidation activities, paving the way for the development of sustainable agricultural technologies to improve crop yields.

This work was published in Nano Research (DOI: 10.26599/NR.2025.94907498) and was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U2102211, U23A20576, 22105066 and 22402054), the Outstanding Youth Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (YQ2022B009 and YQ2024B009), and the Heilongjiang Province Postdoctoral Science Foundation project (LBH-Z24257).

About the Authors

Dr. Liqiang Jing is a full professor in the Faculty of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, China. His research interests focus on nanostructured semiconductor photocatalysis and its applications in energy production, environmental purification, and sensing. Until now, as the first/corresponding author, he has published more than 210 papers in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Advanced Materials, Nature Communications, Chemical Society Reviews, Energy & Environmental Science, Advanced Energy Materials, Advanced Science, and Environmental Science & Technology, with ESI Top papers for 18 and total SCI citations exceeding 18,000 times, won 2 first-class Provincial Science and Technology Awards, presided over 20 national/provincial scientific research projects, owns 17 invention patents. For more information, please pay attention to his research homepage https://photocatalysis.hlju.edu.cn/.

About Nano Research

Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 7,000 articles. In 2024 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2024 IF is 9.0 (8.7, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.