Large-Scale Preparation of Peanut-Bran-Derived Carbon Dots and Their Promoting Effect on Italian Lettuce
Zehua An, Haoran Zhang, Wei Li, Xian Yang, Yunyan Kang, Mingtao Zheng, Bingfu Lei
Abstract
In this research, we developed a simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly method to prepare biomass carbon dots (CDs). We have obtained CDs with high yield, good water solubility, low toxicity, and excellent fluorescence performance by carbonizing peanut bran at high temperature. These CDs can be further used in agricultural production. We found that the peanut bran CDs had a dose–effect relationship on Italian lettuce growth. The fresh weight of the Italian lettuce cultivated under the appropriate concentration of CD solution was 24.3% higher than that of the control group. The contents of K, P, and N in the nutrient solution were decreased, demonstrating the significant improvement of the utilization rate of chemical fertilizers after CD treatment. Our work shows the considerable application prospects of as-prepared CDs in agricultural production.