Explore the Nano World
Wen's Research Group
Wen Zhang, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
Principal Investigator
Professor
Phone: (973) 596-5520
Fax: (973) 596-5790
Email: wen.zhang@njit.edu
Office Location: Colton Hall 211
Find us on the map:
Agricultural Applications of NBs
See our recent demonstration project progress:
Nanobubbles (NBs), which are bubbles with a diameter of < 1 μm, hold promise in green and sustainable engineering applications in diverse fields (e.g., water/wastewater treatment, food processing, medical applications, and agriculture). Generation of gaseous nanobubbles (NBs) by simple, efficient, and scalable methods is critical for industrialization and applications of nanobubbles. We designed a unique method to generate NBs in water with various gas by using tubular ceramic nanofiltration membrane. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of four types of NBs on seed germination and plant growth. Especially, nitrogen NBs exhibited the most considerable effects in the seed germination, whereas air and carbon dioxide NBs did not significantly promote germination. The growth of stem length and diameter, leave numbers, and leave width were promoted by NBs (except air). Furthermore, the promotion effect was primarily ascribed to the generation of exogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) by NBs and nutrient delivery that enhanced by specific types of NBs. We will further investigate (1) the colloidal, chemical and electrochemical properties of produced NBs in water; (2) impacts of NBs on water quality (e.g., pH, dissolved oxygen, and redox potential) as well as nutrient release from soil; (3) impacts of NBs on nutrient absorption by plants; (4) bacterial activity changes to NBs using electrochemical scanning probe microscope; (5) the microbial community level effect of NBs on biofilm/microbiome in water, soil and rhizosphere. Through discovering and characterizing these intriguing nanoscale phenomena and processes, this project will deliver new insight into novel sustainable agricultural practices using NB water that may increase crop production and reduce water, chemical fertilizer and herbicide uses.