Time-resolved neutron computed tomography of hydration kinetics in nanoprimed seeds using chitosan-stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles.

Neutron computed tomography (NCT) was employed to non-invasively monitor hydration kinetics in Lactuca sativa seeds subjected to nanopriming with chitosan-stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles (CS-FeNPs). Integrating a nanomaterial-based seed treatment with radiation imaging, this study demonstrates a novel application of neutron techniques for visualizing dynamic biointerfaces. Exploiting the strong neutron attenuation by hydrogen, NCT enabled time-resolved visualization of internal water transport during 120 h of germination, achieving ∼60 μm spatial resolution sufficient to capture tissue-level hydration dynamics. Seeds primed with CS-FeNPs exhibited accelerated and more homogeneous hydration, with attenuation intensities approaching 5.5 a. u. by 120 h compared to weaker, spatially restricted profiles in FeNP-primed seeds. These hydration maps corresponded to earlier radicle emergence and >95% germination success, suggesting that chitosan coating enhances water mobility through electrosteric stabilization of nanoparticles. NCT provided direct, spatially resolved evidence that CS-FeNP priming altered internal water distribution during germination, even though the nanoparticles themselves were not directly visualized. Overall, this work establishes NCT as a quantitative, non-destructive tool for dynamic water imaging in biological systems, highlighting its potential for investigating radiation-material-biological interactions where hydrogen-sensitive contrast is critical.