Carbon dots help detect herbicide pollution

News:Researchers from Assam have used the commonly found invasive plant water hyacinth to produce carbon dots.

Facts:

About the research:

• Researchers from Assam have used the invasive plant water hyacinth to produce carbon nanoparticles.
• These extremely tiny (less than 10 nanometres) particles can be used for detecting herbicide pollution.
• Researchers are also exploring if its fibre can be used to make furniture.

Water Hyacinth:

• Water hyacinth is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant (or hydrophyte) native to tropical and subtropical South America.They are considered as Invasive alien species.
• The one plant of water Hyacinth is capable of duplicating itself every nine days.Hence,it has spread rapidly to other parts of the world.India has also been infested by this weed.
• States like Assam and Kerala are highly affected by the Water Hyacinth. It is also referred to as the Bengal terror given its effect on the local ecology and lives of the people.
• It has an effect on irrigation, hydroelectric generation and navigation.It also leads to a drastic reduction in fish production, aquatic crops and an increase in diseases caused by mosquitoes.

About Carbon dots:

• Carbon dots are carbon-based nanomaterials whose size is less than 10 nm or nanometre.
• Carbon dots exhibit a wide range of physicochemical properties making them an ideal platform for several important environmental, biological, and energy-related applications.
• They have been employed in emerging applications including antibacterial agents, self-healing materials, and mass spectrometry.