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The Improvement of Spinach Growth by Nano-anatase TiO2 Treatment Is Related to Nitrogen Photoreduction

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Abstract

The improvement of spinach growth is proved to relate to N2 fixation by nano-anatase TiO2 in this study. The results show that all spinach leaves kept green by nano-anatase TiO2 treatment and all old leaves of control turned yellow white under culture with N-deficient solution. And the fresh weight, dry weight, and contents of total nitrogen, \( {\text{NH}}^{ + }_{4} \), chlorophyll, and protein of spinach by nano-anatase TiO2 treatment presented obvious enhancement compared with control. Whereas the improvements of yield of spinach were not as good as nano-anatase TiO2 treatment under N-deficient condition, confirming that nano-anatase TiO2 on exposure to sunlight could chemisorb N2 directly or reduce N2 to NH3 in the spinach leaves, transforming into organic nitrogen and improving the growth of spinach. Bulk TiO2 effect, however, was not as significant as nano-anatase TiO2. A possible metabolism of the function of nano-anatase TiO2 reducing N2 to NH3 was discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.20671067) and by the Jiangsu Province Universities Natural Science Foundation (grant no. 03KJB180122, 06KJB180094).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Sciences, Suzhou University, Suzhou, 215006, People’s Republic of China

    Fan Yang, Chao Liu, Fengqing Gao, Mingyu Su, Xiao Wu, Lei Zheng & Fashui Hong

  2. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou, 215006, People’s Republic of China

    Ping Yang

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  1. Fan Yang
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  2. Chao Liu
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Correspondence to Fashui Hong or Ping Yang.

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Yang, F., Liu, C., Gao, F. et al. The Improvement of Spinach Growth by Nano-anatase TiO2 Treatment Is Related to Nitrogen Photoreduction. Biol Trace Elem Res 119, 77–88 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-007-0046-4

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