Due to the potential for interactions
between crop plants and engineered
nanomaterials (ENMs), there is increasing interest in understanding
the bioavailability and effects of ENMs released into soil systems.
Here, we investigate the influence of root exudates on the fate of
ENMs from a thermodynamic perspective. Nano isothermal titration calorimetry
was applied to determine thermodynamic parameters for the interaction
between nanocopper (nCu) and synthetic root exudate
(SRE) and its components (including sugars, organic acids, amino acids,
and phenolic acids), as well as Cu2+ and SRE. The measured
binding constant (K
d = 5.645 × 103 M–1) indicated strong interactions between nCu particles and SRE, as well as with individual organic
acids. The interaction between Cu2+ and SRE was stronger
(K
d = 7.181 × 104 M–1) but varies for the individual SRE components. nCu dissolution in the presence of SRE was the predominant
interaction. In addition, SRE resulted in a complex transformation
of nCu, where Cu2+, Cu+, and
Cu0 were formed via oxidation and reduction. Plant–nCu exposure experiments indicate that the binding of SRE
with nCu and dissolved Cu ions can significantly
decrease Cu uptake and bioaccumulation in plants. nITC provides a
fundamental thermodynamic understanding of interactions between nCu and plant root exudates, providing an important tool
for understanding plant NP-interactions.