The invention relates to a method for producing plant fibres, in particular cotton fibres, doped with nanoparticles in order to produce intelligent textiles using a sustainable, automated hydroponic system. The production and commercialisation of biomaterials for intelligent textiles are compromised by the lack of uniform, scalable, sustainable and cost-effective production processes. The invention therefore addresses the problem of devising a method for implementing and establishing such production processes. The invention is based on the use of processes that are inherent to plants for producing new composite materials in an ecological and sustainable way. Cotton plants are grown in hydrocultures, allowing metal oxide nanoparticles (2-5 nm) to be directly absorbed by the plants via the roots. The nanoparticles are conveyed in the plant by internal capillary forces and accumulate in the cotton fibres. The embedding of nanoparticles overcomes poor coating stability and hence prevents the nanoparticles from being washed out, thus leading to intelligent textiles that remain permanently active.
