journal article·2026-02Open access

Structure‐Driven α‐Fe 2 O 3 @Ag Nanohybrids Orchestrate Redox–Hormone–Metabolite Crosstalk for Plant Salt Stress Reprogramming

Xiaohang Yang, Zhiqiang Sun, Panxin Wang, Qi Wang, Qiong Li, Xingbo Bian

Small· Volume 22· Issue 11

Abstract

ABSTRACT Soil salinity is a critical abiotic stressor that disrupts plant growth by impairing redox balance, membrane stability, and metabolic coordination. While nanomaterials have emerged as promising abiotic stress modulators, the influence of nanoscale architecture on multi‐level plant responses remains insufficiently understood. Here, we report the design and application of pinwheel‐like α‐Fe 2 O 3 @Ag nanohybrids, engineered through controlled hydrolysis, ball milling, and high‐temperature calcination, to reprogram salt stress responses across physiological and molecular scales. These hybrids exhibit hierarchical anisotropic structures that promote leaf adhesion, cellular uptake, and redox interface activity. Integrated multi‐omics analyses reveal that α‐Fe 2 O 3 @Ag enhances stress tolerance by modulating antioxidant defense, preserving photosynthetic efficiency, and rebalancing osmotic and hormonal pathways. At the molecular level, the nanohybrids induce transcriptomic and metabolomic rewiring across key axes, including unsaturated fatty acid metabolism, sulfur assimilation, hormone signaling (ABA and JA), and protein turnover. This study presents a structure‐function‐response framework linking nanomaterial morphology to biological outcomes, and highlights the potential of hybrid nanoregulators as versatile tools for enhancing crop resilience under environmental stress. The findings offer conceptual and practical advances for developing next‐generation nano‐enabled strategies in sustainable agriculture.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Advanced Nanomaterials in Catalysis · Iron oxide chemistry and applications · Carbon and Quantum Dots Applications

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Jilin Medical University Jilin China

State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment School of Environment Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin China

Research Center of Environmental Pollution Control Engineering Technology Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences Beijing China

Jilin Ginseng Academy Changchun University of Chinese Medicine Changchun Jilin China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

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