Mesoporous silica co-loads ferrous ions and carbon dots, while an outer tannic-acid/iron gate combines iron stabilization, pH-responsive transport and foliar retention.
Iron is required for photosynthesis and chlorophyll synthesis. Foliar application must address oxidation, poor wetting and rainfall loss.
Carbon dots protect ferrous ions inside mesoporous silica, while a tannic-acid/iron coordination layer regulates transport and improves spreading and deposition.
The official report identifies Guopeng Teng as first author and Zhengyan Wu, Jia Zhang and Bo Hu as co-corresponding authors.
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Research notes, full authors and sources
Question: How can foliar iron be stabilized and retained under rainfall?
Design and findings: Mesoporous silica co-loads ferrous ions and carbon dots, while an outer tannic-acid/iron gate combines iron stabilization, pH-responsive transport and foliar retention.
Scope: The findings concern iron stability, release and leaf interactions under the tested conditions, rather than demonstrated performance across all crops and climates.
Authors: Guopeng Teng; Bowen Shen; Xue Yuan; Chunhui Zhou; Chengye Wang; Meng Gao; Yunhao Zhang; Bo Hu; Jia Zhang; Zhengyan Wu
Online publication: 2026