Increasing usage of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in different industrial areas inevitably leads to their release into the environment. Thus, living organisms, including plants, may be exposed to a direct contact with nanoparticles (NPs). Despite the growing amount of research on this topic, our knowledge about NPs uptake by plants and their influence on different developmental processes is still insufficient. The first physical barrier for NPs penetration to the plant body is a cell wall which protects cytoplasm from external factors and environmental stresses. The absence of a cell wall may facilitate the internalization of various particles including NPs. Our studies have shown that AuNPs, independently of their surface charge, did not cross the cell wall of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) roots. However, the research carried out with using light and transmission electron microscope revealed that AuNPs with different surface charge caused diverse changes in the root’s histology and ultrastructure. Therefore, we verified whether this is only the wall which protects cells against particles penetration and for this purpose we used protoplasts culture. It has been shown that plasma membrane (PM) is not a barrier for positively charged (+) AuNPs and negatively charged (−) AuNPs, which passage to the cell.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have a significant impact on the environment and living organisms. The influence of NPs on plants is intensively studied and most of the data indicate that NPs can penetrate into plants. The studies presented here were performed on the roots of Hordeum vulgare L. seedlings using neutral-charge gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of different sizes. In contrast to the majority of the published data, the results presented here showed that during the culture period, AuNPs: 1/did not enter the root regardless of their size and concentration, 2/that are applied directly into the cells of a root do not move into neighbouring cells. The results that were obtained indicate that in order to extend our knowledge about the mechanisms of the interactions between NPs and plants, further studies including, among others, on different species and a variety of growth conditions are needed.

A novel sonochemical method for direct preparation of nanocrystalline antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) has been established. The SbSI gel was synthesized using elemental Sb, S and I in the presence of ethanol under ultrasonic irradiation (35 kHz, 2 W/cm2) at 50 degrees C for 2 h. The products were characterized by using techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and optical diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). The SEM and HRTEM investigations exhibit that the as-prepared samples are made up of large quantity nanowires with diameters of about 10-50 nm and lengths reaching up to several micrometers and single-crystalline in nature.

A novel piezoelectric paper based on antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) nanowires is reported. The composite of tough sonochemically produced SbSI nanowires (with lateral dimensions 10–100 nm and length up to several micrometers) with very flexible cellulose leads to applicable, elastic material suitable to use in fabrication of, for example, piezoelectric nanogenerators. For mechanical energy harvesting, cellulose/SbSI nanocomposite may be used. Due to its high values of electromechanical coefficient (k₃₃ = 0.9) and piezoelectric coefficient (d₃₃ = 1 × 10⁻⁹ C/N), SbSI is a very attractive material for such devices. The preliminary investigations of a simple cellulose/SbSI nanogenerator for shock pressure (p = 3 MPa) and sound excitation (f = 175 Hz, L_p = 90 dB) allowed to determine its open circuit voltage 2.5 V and 24 mV, respectively. For a load resistance equal to source impedance (Z_S = 2.90(11) MΩ), maximum output power density (P_L = 41.5 nW/cm³ for 0.05-mm-thick sheet of this composite) of the cellulose/SbSI nanogenerator was observed. Cellulose/SbSI piezoelectric paper may also be useful to construct gas nanosensors and actuators.

The new model orange callus line, similar to carrot root, was rich in carotenoids due to altered expression of some carotenogenesis-associated genes and possessed unique diversity of chromoplast ultrastructure.