Promise of nano-carbon to the next generation sustainable agriculture

The impact of the carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) wave in agro-application has been growing in recent years. The carbon nanomaterials family includes graphene oxide (GO), carbon nanotube (CNT), carbon nanofiber (CNF), carbon nanohorns (CNH), carbon nanodots (CND), carbon nano-onions (CNO), fullerene, and nano-diamond. The former seven belong to the sp(2) carbon and the later belong to sp(3) carbon. Based on the selection of the forms of allotropes, morphology, size, and the potential combination to form hybrids; the CNMs have shown different performance in the agro activities. Hence, in this review, all these studies along with our contributions are detailed briefly with the information about material synthesis, characterization, and application efficiency; the application includes the role in pesticide, fertilizer, and preservative sector. The review is finally concluded with the highlights about advantages, gaps/risks identified for the industry application, quality assurance status, and future perspectives. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

The impact of carbon nanomaterials in agro-applications is growing, with different forms of carbon nanomaterials showing varying performances in agriculture.