Afterglow-Engineered Monstera Enhances Photosynthetic Carbon Sequestration

Photosynthetic enhancement in indoor plants represents a promising yet underexplored route for sustainable carbon sequestration. Here, we demonstrate a functional stabilization strategy for Monstera deliciosa by integrating an afterglow-converting phosphor system to improve the photosynthetic efficiency of the plant. The embedded afterglow phosphor acts as a “light battery” to overcome the limitations of periodic visible light availability to the plant. Strontium sulfide (SrS) phosphors, codoped with europium and praseodymium, were engineered to prolong red-light emission. The phosphors were encapsulated within an SiO2 shell and subsequently embedded in a biocompatible polymeric film for direct application to plant surfaces. This modification significantly elevated the photosynthetic assimilation, achieving a rate of 2.352 μmol·m–2·s–1, and sustained the carbon capture efficiency by 20.55%. The dopant concentrations were optimized using a generative reinforcement-based machine learning model, ensuring maximal luminescence and carbon fixation outcomes. Beyond the quantifiable gains in photosynthetic performance, the afterglow-engineered plant exhibits dual functionality: carbon sequestration enhancer and an aesthetic feature for indoor environments. This work establishes a new paradigm in plant-based carbon removal by coupling functional material engineering with machine learning-guided optimizations, offering a scalable pathway toward high-efficiency biosequestration in built environments.