Interaction of Titanium Dioxide
Nanoparticles with Plants
in Agro-ecosystems
Ranjana Singh, Kajal Patel, and Indu Tripathi
Abstract
The remarkable progress in nanotechnology has significantly augmented the utilization of nanoscaled
( 100 nm) nanomaterials (NMs) in wide range of
products. Titanium dioxide NPs (TiO 2 -NPs) are the most
commonly used NMs among all that are unabatedly used
in a variety of industrial and consumer products. This
demand-based excessive production and application of
TiO 2 -NPs ultimately lead way to their release in the
environment which causes potential risks to environmental components and their functioning. Plants, being the
primary component of any ecosystem, are the initial point
for the NPs’ interaction that is requisite feature for risk
assessment. Researchers over the globe have observed
that these NPs pose both detrimental and beneficial effects
on plants; however, these impacts are determined by their
mode of interaction depending on experimental conditions. Besides, due to their photocatalytic and
growth-promoting activities, researchers are paying attention on developing some TiO 2 -NP-based formulations so
that they can be used in agriculture to improve crop yield
and quality and also to protect plants from various pests
and pathogens. It is reported that TiO 2 -NPs also improve
the plant performance under various abiotic stresses.
Under the light of current knowledge, this chapter
provides an overview of TiO 2 -NPs, their interactions,
i.e., uptake, translocation and accumulation with plants,
feedback of plants at different levels (viz. morphological,
physiological, biochemical and molecular) with an overview on intrinsic mechanism of TiO 2 -NPs detoxification
within plants. Eventually, it gives a brief knowledge on
application of TiO 2 -NPs in agriculture as growth boosters
and protecting agents against various biotic and abiotic
stresses.
Keywords
Detoxification mechanism Á Ecosystem Á Environmental
risks Á Nanomaterials Á Nanotechnology Á Plant
interaction Á Phytotoxicity
1 Introduction
Nanotechnology is a revolutionary science that includes
synthesis and manipulation of the matter at an atomic or
molecular scale (i.e. 10
–9 m) with an objective to produce
materials with novel functionalities and improved characters
stemming from their surface area, shape, electronic and
optical behavior. Among the various nanomaterials (NMs),
nanoparticles (NPs) play a special role in a broad array of
applications in variety of fields like production and synthesis
of materials, remediation techniques for environment, cosmetics, agriculture and medicines. Due to escalating
demands, the value of these NMs is expected to be increased
about 30 billion USD by the end of 2020 in the global
market (Wang et al. 2013).
Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), an oxide of titanium (Ti), occurs
on Earth mainly in three crystalline forms, viz. anatase (tetragonal), rutile (tetragonal) and brookite (orthorhombic) with
brookite having no commercial value (Fig. 1) (Fries and
Simkó 2012; Waghmode et al. 2019). According to thermodynamics calculations, both anatase and brookite get transformed into rutile which is found to be chemically very active
and highly stable at all temperature and pressure
R. Singh (&)
Department of Botany, Government Model Degree College,
Arniya, Bulandshahr, U.P. 203131, India
e-mail: vermaranjana09@gmail.com
K. Patel
Department of Botany, University of Delhi,
New Delhi, 110007, India
e-mail: kajal78672@gmail.com
I. Tripathi
Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi,
New Delhi, 110007, India
e-mail: indutripathi9@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
P. Singh et al. (eds.), Plant-Microbes-Engineered Nano-particles (PM-ENPs) Nexus in Agro-Ecosystems,
Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66956-0_4
49
Nanoparticles with Plants
in Agro-ecosystems
Ranjana Singh, Kajal Patel, and Indu Tripathi
Abstract
The remarkable progress in nanotechnology has significantly augmented the utilization of nanoscaled
( 100 nm) nanomaterials (NMs) in wide range of
products. Titanium dioxide NPs (TiO 2 -NPs) are the most
commonly used NMs among all that are unabatedly used
in a variety of industrial and consumer products. This
demand-based excessive production and application of
TiO 2 -NPs ultimately lead way to their release in the
environment which causes potential risks to environmental components and their functioning. Plants, being the
primary component of any ecosystem, are the initial point
for the NPs’ interaction that is requisite feature for risk
assessment. Researchers over the globe have observed
that these NPs pose both detrimental and beneficial effects
on plants; however, these impacts are determined by their
mode of interaction depending on experimental conditions. Besides, due to their photocatalytic and
growth-promoting activities, researchers are paying attention on developing some TiO 2 -NP-based formulations so
that they can be used in agriculture to improve crop yield
and quality and also to protect plants from various pests
and pathogens. It is reported that TiO 2 -NPs also improve
the plant performance under various abiotic stresses.
Under the light of current knowledge, this chapter
provides an overview of TiO 2 -NPs, their interactions,
i.e., uptake, translocation and accumulation with plants,
feedback of plants at different levels (viz. morphological,
physiological, biochemical and molecular) with an overview on intrinsic mechanism of TiO 2 -NPs detoxification
within plants. Eventually, it gives a brief knowledge on
application of TiO 2 -NPs in agriculture as growth boosters
and protecting agents against various biotic and abiotic
stresses.
Keywords
Detoxification mechanism Á Ecosystem Á Environmental
risks Á Nanomaterials Á Nanotechnology Á Plant
interaction Á Phytotoxicity
1 Introduction
Nanotechnology is a revolutionary science that includes
synthesis and manipulation of the matter at an atomic or
molecular scale (i.e. 10
–9 m) with an objective to produce
materials with novel functionalities and improved characters
stemming from their surface area, shape, electronic and
optical behavior. Among the various nanomaterials (NMs),
nanoparticles (NPs) play a special role in a broad array of
applications in variety of fields like production and synthesis
of materials, remediation techniques for environment, cosmetics, agriculture and medicines. Due to escalating
demands, the value of these NMs is expected to be increased
about 30 billion USD by the end of 2020 in the global
market (Wang et al. 2013).
Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), an oxide of titanium (Ti), occurs
on Earth mainly in three crystalline forms, viz. anatase (tetragonal), rutile (tetragonal) and brookite (orthorhombic) with
brookite having no commercial value (Fig. 1) (Fries and
Simkó 2012; Waghmode et al. 2019). According to thermodynamics calculations, both anatase and brookite get transformed into rutile which is found to be chemically very active
and highly stable at all temperature and pressure
R. Singh (&)
Department of Botany, Government Model Degree College,
Arniya, Bulandshahr, U.P. 203131, India
e-mail: vermaranjana09@gmail.com
K. Patel
Department of Botany, University of Delhi,
New Delhi, 110007, India
e-mail: kajal78672@gmail.com
I. Tripathi
Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi,
New Delhi, 110007, India
e-mail: indutripathi9@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
P. Singh et al. (eds.), Plant-Microbes-Engineered Nano-particles (PM-ENPs) Nexus in Agro-Ecosystems,
Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66956-0_4
49