Carbon dots-mediated plant adaptive responses to abiotic stress

•CDs are a novel material to promote sustainable agricultural development.•CDs can improve plant tolerance to various stresses.•CDs induce morphological, physiological, and molecular changes in plants under stress. Global agricultural productivity and food security are facing severe challenges from abiotic stresses, necessitating sustainable agricultural innovations to address this issue. Nanotechnology, as a pioneering approach, holds great promise for improving crop yields, with carbon dots (CDs) emerging as a particularly attractive solution due to their ease of synthesis, excellent biocompatibility, and low toxicity. This review summarizes the synthetic strategies of CDs, their structural characteristics, potential properties, and toxicity evaluation, as well as their capacity to enhance crop productivity by improving photosynthesis, nutrient uptake efficiency, and antioxidant defense systems. Additionally, we discuss the application of CDs in alleviating abiotic stresses that affect plants, such as drought, salinity, heavy metal toxicity, and extreme temperatures. We also discuss the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms through which CDs enhance plant tolerance to these stresses. The versatility and effectiveness of CDs in sustainable agriculture position them as promising candidates for future agricultural practices aimed at mitigating the impacts of abiotic stress. [Display omitted]