Synthesis of nanocomposites and their use in enhancing plant nutrition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12291489-B2
Application number	US-201716314689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2017
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to the development of improved fertilizer for precision and sustainable agriculture. A method was developed wherein efficient NPK nanocomposite for plant nutrition was synthesized in a single step using aerosol science and technology concepts. Further a formulation was prepared by addition of ZnO, TiO2 and other nanoparticles to the NPK nanocomposite. Also, an aerosol based foliar application technique was developed for the precise delivery of nanoparticles to the plants.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A powder composition consisting of:
(a) a plurality of nanocomposite particles each comprising a nanocomposite, wherein the nanocomposite particles have a particle size of about 25 nm to about 500 nm and are soluble in water, wherein each of the nanocomposite particles consists essentially of a combination of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, and wherein each of the nanocomposite particles excludes chitosan, and
(b) a plurality of metal oxide nanoparticles consisting of metal oxide.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanocomposite particles comprise at least about 50% available phosphorus.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanocomposite particles comprise at least about 20% nitrogen.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanocomposite particles comprise at least about 20% potassium.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanocomposite particles have a particle size of about 100 nm.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are about 25 nm.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are ZnO.

8. A method of delivering the powder composition of claim 1 to a plant, the method comprising administering the composition via aerosol.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the delivery increases the fresh weight of biomass in the plant.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the fresh weight of biomass is increased by greater than 20% relative to a plant administered conventional fertilizer.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the nanocomposite particles are administered at about 100 mg/kg of a nutrient formulation containing the nanocomposite particles.

12. A method of making the nanocomposite particles of claim 1 , the method comprising: (a) using a furnace aerosol reactor comprising an atomizer unit, a hot air oven, and a collection unit, generating one or more aerosol droplets of a precursor solution in the atomizer unit; (b) passing the aerosol droplets through hot air oven to form nanocomposite particles; and (c) collecting the nanocomposite particles using the collection unit, wherein the precursor solution comprises nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method does not generate any byproduct chemical and/or no further downstream processing is required.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the hot-air oven has a temperature of about 25° C. to about 250° C.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the pressure of the atomizing unit is about 40 PSI.

16. A method of customizing nanocomposite particles to a plant, the method comprising determining the amount of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium needed by the plant and making nanocomposite particles according to the method of claim 12 , with the determined amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises determining the ratio/amount of nanocomposite particles added, the size of the nanocomposite particles, the shape of the nanocomposite particles, and/or type of nanocomposite particles, and making a composition comprising the nanocomposite particles.

Assignees

• Biswas Pratim
• Raliya Ramesh
• Washington University St Louis

Inventors

• Biswas Pratim
• Raliya Ramesh

Classifications

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• C05G5/27

  Dispersions, e.g. suspensions or emulsions · CPC title

• C05B17/02

  containing manganese · CPC title

• C05C11/00

  Other nitrogenous fertilisers · CPC title

• C05F11/08

  Organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia or the like · CPC title