Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation with Photosystem II Integrated in a Mesoporous Indium–Tin Oxide Electrode

Interfacing Formate Dehydrogenase with Metal Oxides for the Reversible Electrocatalysis and Solar-Driven Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

The integration of enzymes with synthetic materials allows efficient electrocatalysis and production of solar fuels. Here, we couple formate dehydrogenase (FDH) from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH) to metal oxides for catalytic CO₂ reduction and report an in‐depth study of the resulting enzyme–material interface. Protein film voltammetry (PFV) demonstrates the stable binding of FDH on metal‐oxide electrodes and reveals the reversible and selective reduction of CO₂ to formate. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR‐IR) spectroscopy confirm a high binding affinity for FDH to the TiO₂ surface. Adsorption of FDH on dye‐sensitized TiO₂ allows for visible‐light‐driven CO₂ reduction to formate in the absence of a soluble redox mediator with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 11±1 s⁻¹. The strong coupling of the enzyme to the semiconductor gives rise to a new benchmark in the selective photoreduction of aqueous CO₂ to formate.

Electrochemical characterization of LHCII on graphite electrodes - Potential-dependent photoactivation and arrangement of complexes

Light-dependent electrochemical properties of the light harvesting complexes of Photosystem II (LHCII) and the corresponding interactions with screen-printed graphite electrodes (GEs) are determined. No exogenous soluble redox mediators are used. LHCII isolated from spinach leaves are immobilized on GE by physical adsorption and through interactions with glutaraldehyde. Importantly, the insertion of LHCII into the pores of a GE is achieved by subjecting the electrode to specific potentials. Both trimeric and aggregated forms of LHCII located within the graphite layer retain their native structures. Voltammetric current peaks centred at ca. -230 and + 50 mV vs. Ag/AgCl (+94 and + 374 mV vs. NHE) limit the investigation of the reduction and oxidation processes of immobilized LHCII. An anodic photocurrent is generated in the LHCII-GE proportional to light intensity and can reach a value of 150 nA/cm². Light-dependent charge separation in LHCII followed by electron transfer to the GE occurs only at potentials of above -200 mV vs. Ag/AgCl (+124 mV vs. NHE). Our results illustrate the importance of the structural proximity of LHCII and GE for photocurrent generation.

Rational Design and Construction of Cocatalysts for Semiconductor-Based Photo-Electrochemical Oxygen Evolution: A Comprehensive Review

Photo-electrochemical (PEC) water splitting, as an essential and indispensable research branch of solar energy applications, has achieved increasing attention in the past decades. Between the two photoelectrodes, the photoanodes for PEC water oxidation are mostly studied for the facile selection of n-type semiconductors. Initially, the efficiency of the PEC process is rather limited, which mainly results from the existing drawbacks of photoanodes such as instability and serious charge-carrier recombination. To improve PEC performances, researchers gradually focus on exploring many strategies, among which engineering photoelectrodes with suitable cocatalysts is one of the most feasible and promising methods to lower reaction obstacles and boost PEC water splitting ability. Here, the basic principles, modules of the PEC system, evaluation parameters in PEC water oxidation reactions occurring on the surface of photoanodes, and the basic functions of cocatalysts on the promotion of PEC performance are demonstrated. Then, the key progress of cocatalyst design and construction applied to photoanodes for PEC oxygen evolution is emphatically introduced and the influences of different kinds of water oxidation cocatalysts are elucidated in detail. Finally, the outlook of highly active cocatalysts for the photosynthesis process is also included.

Interfacing nature's catalytic machinery with synthetic materials for semi-artificial photosynthesis

Semi-artificial photosynthetic systems aim to overcome the limitations of natural and artificial photosynthesis while providing an opportunity to investigate their respective functionality. The progress and studies of these hybrid systems is the focus of this forward-looking perspective. In this Review, we discuss how enzymes have been interfaced with synthetic materials and employed for semi-artificial fuel production. In parallel, we examine how more complex living cellular systems can be recruited for in vivo fuel and chemical production in an approach where inorganic nanostructures are hybridized with photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic microorganisms. Side-by-side comparisons reveal strengths and limitations of enzyme- and microorganism-based hybrid systems, and how lessons extracted from studying enzyme hybrids can be applied to investigations of microorganism-hybrid devices. We conclude by putting semi-artificial photosynthesis in the context of its own ambitions and discuss how it can help address the grand challenges facing artificial systems for the efficient generation of solar fuels and chemicals.

Oxygenic Photoreactivity in Photosystem II Studied by Rotating Ring Disk Electrochemistry

Protein film photoelectrochemistry has previously been used to monitor the activity of photosystem II, the water-plastoquinone photooxidoreductase, but the mechanistic information attainable from a three-electrode setup has remained limited. Here we introduce the four-electrode rotating ring disk electrode technique for quantifying light-driven reaction kinetics and mechanistic pathways in real time at the enzyme-electrode interface. This setup allows us to study photochemical H₂O oxidation in photosystem II and to gain an in-depth understanding of pathways that generate reactive oxygen species. The results show that photosystem II reacts with O₂ through two main pathways that both involve a superoxide intermediate to produce H₂O₂. The first pathway involves the established chlorophyll triplet-mediated formation of singlet oxygen, which is followed by its reduction to superoxide at the electrode surface. The second pathway is specific for the enzyme/electrode interface: an exposed antenna chlorophyll is sufficiently close to the electrode for rapid injection of an electron to form a highly reducing chlorophyll anion, which reacts with O₂ in solution to produce O₂^•-. Incomplete H₂O oxidation does not significantly contribute to reactive oxygen formation in our conditions. The rotating ring disk electrode technique allows the chemical reactivity of photosystem II to be studied electrochemically and opens several avenues for future investigation.

Evaluating the efficiency of a photoelectrochemical electrode constructed with photosystem II-enriched thylakoid membrane fragments

The photoelectrochemical electrode has been intensively studied in recent years as a means of generating electricity from light through the use of intact thylakoid membranes or highly purified photosystem II. PSII-enriched thylakoid membrane fragments (PSII-BBY), also have the potential to construct the photoelectrochemical anode. In this study, we examined the feasibility of utilizing PSII-BBY preparations to construct a relatively inexpensive photoelectrochemical anode with a comparable current density and a reasonable stability. Intact thylakoid membrane based photoelectrochemical electrode was also constructed to compare with the PSII-BBY based photoelectrochemical electrode with respect to the protein activity and current density. In addition, the practicability of replacing the popular gold nanoparticle modified gold slide with multi-walled carbon nanotube modified indium tin oxide coated slides was tested. In order to understand the surface change during slide surface modification, an atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to image the topography of the slide. Above all, we observed a current density of 20.44 ± 1.58 μA/cm² when PSII-BBY was used to construct the photoelectrochemical anode. Moreover, the PSII-BBY based photoelectrochemical anode showed high stability over time with the current decreasing at a rate of 0.78%/h.

Interfacing Photosynthetic Membrane Protein with Mesoporous WO3 Photoelectrode for Solar Water Oxidation

Photosynthetic biocatalysts are emerging as a new class of materials, with their sophisticated and intricate structure, which promise improved remarkable quantum efficiency compared to conventional inorganic materials in artificial photosynthesis. To break the limitation of efficiency, the construction of bioconjugated photo-electrochemical conversion devices has garnered substantial interest and stood at the frontier of the multidisciplinary research between biology and chemistry. Herein, a biohybrid photoanode of a photosynthetic membrane protein (Photosystem II (PS II)), extracted from fresh spinach entrapped on mesoporous WO₃ film, is fabricated on fluorine-doped tin oxide. The PS II membrane proteins are observed to communicate with the WO₃ electrode in the absence of any soluble redox mediators and sacrificial reagents under the visible light of the solar spectrum, even to 700 nm. The biohybrid electrode undergoes electron transfer and generates a significantly enhanced photocurrent compared to previously reported PS II-based photoanodes with carbon nanostructures or other semiconductor substrates for solar water oxidation. The maximum incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency reaches 15.24% at 400 nm in the visible light region. This work provides some insights and possibilities into the efficient assembly of a future solar energy conversion system based on visible-light-responsive semiconductors and photosynthetic proteins.

The Effect of Water on Quinone Redox Mediators in Nonaqueous Li-O2 Batteries

The parasitic reactions associated with reduced oxygen species and the difficulty in achieving the high theoretical capacity have been major issues plaguing development of practical nonaqueous Li-O₂ batteries. We hereby address the above issues by exploring the synergistic effect of 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone and H₂O on the oxygen chemistry in a nonaqueous Li-O₂ battery. Water stabilizes the quinone monoanion and dianion, shifting the reduction potentials of the quinone and monoanion to more positive values (vs Li/Li⁺). When water and the quinone are used together in a (largely) nonaqueous Li-O₂ battery, the cell discharge operates via a two-electron oxygen reduction reaction to form Li₂O₂, with the battery discharge voltage, rate, and capacity all being considerably increased and fewer side reactions being detected. Li₂O₂ crystals can grow up to 30 μm, more than an order of magnitude larger than cases with the quinone alone or without any additives, suggesting that water is essential to promoting a solution dominated process with the quinone on discharging. The catalytic reduction of O₂ by the quinone monoanion is predominantly responsible for the attractive features mentioned above. Water stabilizes the quinone monoanion via hydrogen-bond formation and by coordination of the Li⁺ ions, and it also helps increase the solvation, concentration, lifetime, and diffusion length of reduced oxygen species that dictate the discharge voltage, rate, and capacity of the battery. When a redox mediator is also used to aid the charging process, a high-power, high energy density, rechargeable Li-O₂ battery is obtained.

A visible-light driven electrochemical biofuel cell with the function of CO2conversion to formic acid: coupled thylakoid from microalgae and biocatalyst immobilized electrodes

A new visible-light driven electrochemical biofuel cell consisting of the thylakoid membrane of microalgae immobilized on a TiO₂layer electrode as a photoanode, a formate dehydrogenase/viologen co-immobilized electrode as a cathode, and a CO₂-saturated buffer solution as the redox electrolyte, was developed.

Bioelectronic Circuit on a 3D Electrode Architecture: Enzymatic Catalysis Interconnected with Photosystem I

Artificial light-driven signal chains are particularly important for the development of systems converting light into a current, into chemicals or for light-induced sensing. Here, we report on the construction of an all-protein, light-triggered, catalytic circuit based on photosystem I, cytochrome c (cyt c) and human sulfite oxidase (hSOX). The defined assembly of all components using a modular design results in an artificial biohybrid electrode architecture, combining the photophysical features of PSI with the biocatalytic properties of hSOX for advanced light-controlled bioelectronics. The working principle is based on a competitive switch between electron supply from the electrode or by enzymatic substrate conversion.

Transfer of photosynthetic NADP+/NADPH recycling activity to a porous metal oxide for highly specific, electrochemically-driven organic synthesis

In a discovery of the transfer of chloroplast biosynthesis activity to an inorganic material, ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (FNR), the pivotal redox flavoenzyme of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation, binds tightly within the pores of indium tin oxide (ITO) to produce an electrode for direct studies of the redox chemistry of the FAD active site, and fast, reversible and diffusion-controlled interconversion of NADP+ and NADPH in solution. The dynamic electrochemical properties of FNR and NADP(H) are thus revealed in a special way that enables facile coupling of selective, enzyme-catalysed organic synthesis to a controllable power source, as demonstrated by efficient synthesis of l-glutamate from 2-oxoglutarate and NH4+.

Photocurrent Generation of Reconstituted Photosystem II on a Self-Assembled Gold Film

Photosystem II (PSII)-modified gold electrodes were prepared by the deposition of PSII reconstituted with platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) on Au electrodes. PtNPs modified with 1-[15-(3,5,6-trimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone-2-yl)]pentadecyl disulfide ((TMQ(CH₂)₁₅S)₂) were incorporated into the Q_B site of PSII isolated from thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus. The reconstitution was confirmed by Q_A-reoxidation measurements. PSII reconstituted with PtNPs was deposited and integrated on a Au(111) surface modified with 4,4'-biphenyldithiol. The cross section of the reconstituted PSII film on the Au electrode was investigated by SEM. Absorption spectra showed that the surface coverage of the electrode was about 18 pmol PSII cm^-2. A photocurrent density of 15 nAcm^-2 at E = +0.10 V (vs Ag/AgCl) was observed under 680 nm irradiation. The photoresponse showed good reversibility under alternating light and dark conditions. Clear photoresponses were not observed in the absence of PSII and molecular wire. These results supported the photocurrent originated from PSII and moved to a gold electrode by light irradiation, which also confirmed conjugation with orientation through the molecular wire.

Catecholamine-functionalized graphene as a biomimetic redox shuttle for solar water oxidation

In natural photosynthesis, solar energy is converted to chemical energy through a cascaded, photoinduced charge transfer chain that consists of primary and secondary acceptor quinones (i.e., Q_A and Q_B). This leads to an exceptionally high near-unity quantum yield. Inspired by the unique multistep architecture of charge transfer in nature, we have synthesized a catecholamine-functionalized, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) film as a redox mediator that can mimic quinone acceptors in photosystem II. We used polynorepinephrine (PNE) as a redox-shuttling chemical. We also used it to coat graphene oxide (GO) and to reduce GO to RGO. The quinone ligands in PNE, which are characterized by a charge transfer involving two electrons and two protons, acted as electron acceptors that facilitated charge transfer in photocatalytic water oxidation. Furthermore, PNE-coated RGO film promoted fast charge separation in [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ and increased the activity of cobalt phosphate on photocatalytic water oxidation more than two-fold. The results suggest that our bio-inspired strategy for the construction of a forward charge transfer pathway can provide more opportunities to realize efficient artificial photosynthesis.

Competing charge transfer pathways at the photosystem II-electrode interface

The integration of the water-oxidation enzyme, photosystem II (PSII), into electrodes allows the electrons extracted from water-oxidation to be harnessed for enzyme characterization and driving novel endergonic reactions. However, PSII continues to underperform in integrated photoelectrochemical systems despite extensive optimization efforts. Here, we performed protein-film photoelectrochemistry on spinach and Thermosynechococcus elongatus PSII, and identified a competing charge transfer pathway at the enzyme-electrode interface that short-circuits the known water-oxidation pathway: photo-induced O₂ reduction occurring at the chlorophyll pigments. This undesirable pathway is promoted by the embedment of PSII in an electron-conducting matrix, a common strategy of enzyme immobilization. Anaerobicity helps to recover the PSII photoresponses, and unmasked the onset potentials relating to the Q_A/Q_B charge transfer process. These findings have imparted a fuller understanding of the charge transfer pathways within PSII and at photosystem-electrode interfaces, which will lead to more rational design of pigment-containing photoelectrodes in general.

A Potentiometric Addressable Photoelectrochemical Biosensor for Sensitive Detection of Two Biomarkers

It is a great challenge to fabricate multiplex and convenient photoelectrochemical biosensors for ultrasensitive determination of biomarkers. Herein, a fascinating potentiometric addressable photoelectrochemical biosensor was reported for double biomarkers' detection by varying the applied bias in the detection process. In this biosensor, the nanocomposite of cube anatase TiO₂ mesocrystals and polyamidoamine dendrimers modified a dual disk electrode as an excellent photoelectrochemical sensing matrix. Subsequently, two important biomarkers in serum for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen and human interleukin-6, were immobilized onto the different disks of modified electrode via glutaraldehyde bridges. Then another two photosensitizers, graphitic-carbon-nitride-labeled and CS-AgI-labeled different antibodies, were self-assembled onto the electrode surface by a corresponding competitive immune recognition reaction. The change in photocurrent with the target antigen concentration at different critical voltages enables us to selectively and quantitatively determine targets. The results demonstrated that this potentiometric addressable photoelectrochemical biosensing strategy not only has great promise as a new point-of-care diagnostic tool for early detection of prostate cancer but also can be conveniently expanded to multiplex biosensing by simply change biomarkers. More importantly, this work provides an unambiguous operating guideline of multiplex photoelectrochemical immunoassay.

Photocurrents from photosystem II in a metal oxide hybrid system: Electron transfer pathways

We have investigated the nature of the photocurrent generated by Photosystem II (PSII), the water oxidizing enzyme, isolated from Thermosynechococcus elongatus, when immobilized on nanostructured titanium dioxide on an indium tin oxide electrode (TiO2/ITO). We investigated the properties of the photocurrent from PSII when immobilized as a monolayer versus multilayers, in the presence and absence of an inhibitor that binds to the site of the exchangeable quinone (QB) and in the presence and absence of exogenous mobile electron carriers (mediators). The findings indicate that electron transfer occurs from the first quinone (QA) directly to the electrode surface but that the electron transfer through the nanostructured metal oxide is the rate-limiting step. Redox mediators enhance the photocurrent by taking electrons from the nanostructured semiconductor surface to the ITO electrode surface not from PSII. This is demonstrated by photocurrent enhancement using a mediator incapable of accepting electrons from PSII. This model for electron transfer also explains anomalies reported in the literature using similar and related systems. The slow rate of the electron transfer step in the TiO2 is due to the energy level of electron injection into the semiconducting material being below the conduction band. This limits the usefulness of the present hybrid electrode. Strategies to overcome this kinetic limitation are discussed.

Structure and Modification of Electrode Materials for Protein Electrochemistry

The interactions between proteins and electrode surfaces are of fundamental importance in bioelectrochemistry, including photobioelectrochemistry. In order to optimise the interaction between electrode and redox protein, either the electrode or the protein can be engineered, with the former being the most adopted approach. This tutorial review provides a basic description of the most commonly used electrode materials in bioelectrochemistry and discusses approaches to modify these surfaces. Carbon, gold and transparent electrodes (e.g. indium tin oxide) are covered, while approaches to form meso- and macroporous structured electrodes are also described. Electrode modifications include the chemical modification with (self-assembled) monolayers and the use of conducting polymers in which the protein is imbedded. The proteins themselves can either be in solution, electrostatically adsorbed on the surface or covalently bound to the electrode. Drawbacks and benefits of each material and its modifications are discussed. Where examples exist of applications in photobioelectrochemistry, these are highlighted.

Directed assembly of the thylakoid membrane on nanostructured TiO2 for a photo-electrochemical cell

The thylakoid membrane mainly consists of photosystem I (PSI), photosystem II (PSII) and the cytochrome b6f embedded in a lipid bilayer. PSI and PSII have the ability to capture sunlight and create an electron-hole pair. The study aims at utilizing these properties by using the thylakoid membrane to construct a photo-electrochemical cell. A controlled aerosol technique, electrohydrodynamic atomization, allows a systematic study by the fabrication of different cell configurations based on the surfactant concentration without any linker, sacrificial electron donor and mediator. The maximum photocurrent density observed is 6.7 mA cm(-2) under UV and visible light, and 12 μA cm(-2) under visible light illumination. The electron transfer occurs from PSII to PSI via cytochrome b6f and the electron at PSII is regenerated by water oxidation, similar to the z-scheme of photosynthesis. This work shows that re-engineering the natural photosynthesis circuit by the novel technique of electrospray deposition can result in an environmentally friendly method of harvesting sunlight.

Manganese Compounds as Water-Oxidizing Catalysts: From the Natural Water-Oxidizing Complex to Nanosized Manganese Oxide Structures

All cyanobacteria, algae, and plants use a similar water-oxidizing catalyst for water oxidation. This catalyst is housed in Photosystem II, a membrane-protein complex that functions as a light-driven water oxidase in oxygenic photosynthesis. Water oxidation is also an important reaction in artificial photosynthesis because it has the potential to provide cheap electrons from water for hydrogen production or for the reduction of carbon dioxide on an industrial scale. The water-oxidizing complex of Photosystem II is a Mn-Ca cluster that oxidizes water with a low overpotential and high turnover frequency number of up to 25-90 molecules of O2 released per second. In this Review, we discuss the atomic structure of the Mn-Ca cluster of the Photosystem II water-oxidizing complex from the viewpoint that the underlying mechanism can be informative when designing artificial water-oxidizing catalysts. This is followed by consideration of functional Mn-based model complexes for water oxidation and the issue of Mn complexes decomposing to Mn oxide. We then provide a detailed assessment of the chemistry of Mn oxides by considering how their bulk and nanoscale properties contribute to their effectiveness as water-oxidizing catalysts.

Tin oxide nanostructured materials: an overview of recent developments in synthesis, modifications and potential applications

Various structural modifications of tin oxide nanostructures leading to multidimensional applications.

Enhancement of photochemical heterogeneous water oxidation by a manganese based soft oxometalate immobilized on a graphene oxide matrix

Enhancement of photochemical water oxidation using a graphene oxide matrix for [Na₁₇[Mn₆P₃W₂₄O₉₄(H₂O)₂]·43H₂O@GO] soft-oxometalate is shown.

A wavelength-resolved ratiometric photoelectrochemical technique: design and sensing applications

A wavelength-resolved ratiometric photoelectrochemical technique was developed as a novel concept for designing ratiometric photoelectrochemical sensors.

In this work, a wavelength-resolved ratiometric photoelectrochemical (WR-PEC) technique was investigated and employed to construct a new type of PEC sensor with good sensitivity and anti-interference ability. The WR-PEC hybrid photoelectrodes were stepwise assembled using semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and photoactive dyes. Under continuous irradiation, the photocurrent–wavelength (I–λ) curves reveal the dependence of the photocurrent on the wavelength. By monitoring the ratios of the two different PEC peak values, a wavelength-resolved ratiometric strategy was realized. Using CdS QDs and methylene blue (MB) as photoactive models, a dual-anodic WR-PEC sensor was established for sensitive detection of Cu²⁺. This ratiometric strategy was identified to be based on the quenching effect of Cu²⁺ towards CdS QDs and enhancement of the MB photocurrent through catalytic oxidation of leuco-MB. Under continuous illumination from 400 nm to 800 nm at a 0.1 V bias potential, a WR-PEC sensor for Cu²⁺ was developed with a wide linear range and a detection limit of 0.37 nM. This WR-PEC had a greatly improved anti-interference ability in a complex environment, and showed acceptable stability. Moreover, using the CdS/magnesium phthalocyanine (MgPc) and CdTe/MgPc as photoelectrodes, anodic–cathodic and dual-cathodic WR-PEC sensors were established, respectively. The WR-PEC technique could serve as a novel concept for designing ratiometric or multi-channel PEC sensors.

The biological water-oxidizing complex at the nano-bio interface

Photosynthesis is one of the most important processes on our planet, providing food and oxygen for the majority of living organisms on Earth. Over the past 30 years scientists have made great strides in understanding the central photosynthetic process of oxygenic photosynthesis, whereby water is used to provide the hydrogen and reducing equivalents vital to CO2 reduction and sugar formation. A recent crystal structure at 1.9-1.95Å has made possible an unparalleled map of the structure of photosystem II (PSII) and particularly the manganese-calcium (Mn-Ca) cluster, which is responsible for splitting water. Here we review how knowledge of the water-splitting site provides important criteria for the design of artificial Mn-based water-oxidizing catalysts, allowing the development of clean and sustainable solar energy technologies.

Iron impurities as the active sites for peroxidase-like catalytic reaction on graphene and its derivatives

We established four kinds of good dispersing systems of graphene and its derivatives with different structural characteristics to estimate their peroxidase-like activity. Besides graphene oxide (GO), it is demonstrated that defect-free graphene, low-oxygen graphene, and iron(III)-doped graphene oxide (GO-Fe) are all capable of H2O2 activation to oxidize peroxidase substrates. As for defect-free graphene, the dispersibility in reaction medium exerts great impact on its catalytic activity and our further judgements concerning the nature of active sites. Improved stability and further exfoliation of defect-free graphene in reaction medium are beneficial to the access of reactants to active sites on the basal planes and enhance its peroxidase-like activity, which is superior to that of low-oxygen graphene and much higher than that of GO. In addition, their peroxidase-like activity can be greatly inhibited by the addition of iron chelators. Interestingly, the introduction of trace ferric ions into GO does not lead to an apparent change except for remarkable increase of its peroxidase-like activity. Therefore, we propose that the observed iron impurities rather than the doped nonmetallic heteroatoms play an important role in the peroxidase-like activity of graphene and its derivatives. In this light, saturated iron(III) was immobilized onto the oxygen-donor coordination of GO to immensely promote its activity. The peroxidase-like activity of the prepared GO-Fe was systematically evaluated by using 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine and pyrogallol as peroxidase substrates and was compared to that of horseradish peroxidase and hemin. As a result, GO-Fe shows excellent peroxidase-like catalytic activity, which is comparable to that of hemin. Furthermore, GO-Fe was used for the quantitative detection of H2O2 and glucose.

Principles of light harvesting from single photosynthetic complexes

Photosynthetic systems harness sunlight to power most life on Earth. In the initial steps of photosynthetic light harvesting, absorbed energy is converted to chemical energy with near-unity quantum efficiency. This is achieved by an efficient, directional and regulated flow of energy through a network of proteins. Here, we discuss the following three key principles of this flow and of photosynthetic light harvesting: thermal fluctuations of the protein structure; intrinsic conformational switches with defined functional consequences; and environmentally triggered conformational switches. Through these principles, photosynthetic systems balance two types of operational costs: metabolic costs, or the cost of maintaining and running the molecular machinery, and opportunity costs, or the cost of losing any operational time. Understanding how the molecular machinery and dynamics are designed to balance these costs may provide a blueprint for improved artificial light-harvesting devices. With a multi-disciplinary approach combining knowledge of biology, this blueprint could lead to low-cost and more effective solar energy conversion. Photosynthetic systems achieve widespread light harvesting across the Earth's surface; in the face of our growing energy needs, this is functionality we need to replicate, and perhaps emulate.

Efficient Photoelectrochemical Energy Conversion using Spinach Photosystem II (PSII) in Lipid Multilayer Films

The need for clean, renewable energy has fostered research into photovoltaic alternatives to silicon solar cells. Pigment–protein complexes in green plants convert light energy into chemical potential using redox processes that produce molecular oxygen. Here, we report the first use of spinach protein photosystem II (PSII) core complex in lipid films in photoelectrochemical devices. Photocurrents were generated from PSII in a ∼2 μm biomimetic dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) film on a pyrolytic graphite (PG) anode with PSII embedded in multiple lipid bilayers. The photocurrent was ∼20 μA cm⁻² under light intensity 40 mW cm⁻². The PSII–DMPC anode was used in a photobiofuel cell with a platinum black mesh cathode in perchloric acid solution to give an output voltage of 0.6 V and a maximum output power of 14 μW cm⁻². Part of this large output is related to a five-unit anode–cathode pH gradient. With catholytes at higher pH or no perchlorate, or using an MnO₂ oxygen-reduction cathode, the power output was smaller. The results described raise the possibility of using PSII–DMPC films in small portable power conversion devices.

Photosynthetic Membranes of Synechocystis or Plants Convert Sunlight to Photocurrent through Different Pathways due to Different Architectures

Thylakoid membranes contain the redox active complexes catalyzing the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis in cyanobacteria, algae and plants. Crude thylakoid membranes or purified photosystems from different organisms have previously been utilized for generation of electrical power and/or fuels. Here we investigate the electron transferability from thylakoid preparations from plants or the cyanobacterium Synechocystis. We show that upon illumination, crude Synechocystis thylakoids can reduce cytochrome c. In addition, this crude preparation can transfer electrons to a graphite electrode, producing an unmediated photocurrent of 15 μA/cm². Photocurrent could be obtained in the presence of the PSII inhibitor DCMU, indicating that the source of electrons is Q_A, the primary Photosystem II acceptor. In contrast, thylakoids purified from plants could not reduce cyt c, nor produced a photocurrent in the photocell in the presence of DCMU. The production of significant photocurrent (100 μA/cm²) from plant thylakoids required the addition of the soluble electron mediator DCBQ. Furthermore, we demonstrate that use of crude thylakoids from the D1-K238E mutant in Synechocystis resulted in improved electron transferability, increasing the direct photocurrent to 35 μA/cm². Applying the analogous mutation to tobacco plants did not achieve an equivalent effect. While electron abstraction from crude thylakoids of cyanobacteria or plants is feasible, we conclude that the site of the abstraction of the electrons from the thylakoids, the architecture of the thylakoid preparations influence the site of the electron abstraction, as well as the transfer pathway to the electrode. This dictates the use of different strategies for production of sustainable electrical current from photosynthetic thylakoid membranes of cyanobacteria or higher plants.

A Decaheme Cytochrome as a Molecular Electron Conduit in Dye-Sensitized Photoanodes

In nature, charge recombination in light-harvesting reaction centers is minimized by efficient charge separation. Here, it is aimed to mimic this by coupling dye-sensitized TiO₂ nanocrystals to a decaheme protein, MtrC from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, where the 10 hemes of MtrC form a ≈7-nm-long molecular wire between the TiO₂ and the underlying electrode. The system is assembled by forming a densely packed MtrC film on an ultra-flat gold electrode, followed by the adsorption of approximately 7 nm TiO₂ nanocrystals that are modified with a phosphonated bipyridine Ru(II) dye (RuP). The step-by-step construction of the MtrC/TiO₂ system is monitored with (photo)electrochemistry, quartz-crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Photocurrents are dependent on the redox state of the MtrC, confirming that electrons are transferred from the TiO₂ nanocrystals to the surface via the MtrC conduit. In other words, in these TiO₂/MtrC hybrid photodiodes, MtrC traps the conduction-band electrons from TiO₂ before transferring them to the electrode, creating a photobioelectrochemical system in which a redox protein is used to mimic the efficient charge separation found in biological photosystems.

Simultaneous measurements of photocurrents and H2O2 evolution from solvent exposed photosystem 2 complexes

In plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, photosystem 2 (PS2) catalyzes the light driven oxidation of water. The main products of this reaction are protons and molecular oxygen. In vitro, however, it was demonstrated that reactive oxygen species like hydrogen peroxide are obtained as partially reduced side products. The transition from oxygen to hydrogen peroxide evolution might be induced by light triggered degradation of PS2's active center. Herein, the authors propose an analytical approach to investigate light induced bioelectrocatalytic processes such as PS2 catalyzed water splitting. By combining chronoamperometry and fluorescence microscopy, the authors can simultaneously monitor the photocurrent and the hydrogen peroxide evolution of light activated, solvent exposed PS2 complexes, which have been immobilized on a functionalized gold electrode. The authors show that under limited electron mediation PS2 displays a lower photostability that correlates with an enhanced H2O2 generation as a side product of the light induced water oxidation.

Light harvesting proteins for solar fuel generation in bioengineered photoelectrochemical cells

The sun is the primary energy source of our planet and potentially can supply all societies with more than just their basic energy needs. Demand of electric energy can be satisfied with photovoltaics, however the global demand for fuels is even higher. The direct way to produce the solar fuel hydrogen is by water splitting in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells, an artificial mimic of photosynthesis. There is currently strong resurging interest for solar fuels produced by PEC cells, but some fundamental technological problems need to be solved to make PEC water splitting an economic, competitive alternative. One of the problems is to provide a low cost, high performing water oxidizing and oxygen evolving photoanode in an environmentally benign setting. Hematite, α-Fe₂O₃, satisfies many requirements for a good PEC photoanode, but its efficiency is insufficient in its pristine form. A promising strategy for enhancing photocurrent density takes advantage of photosynthetic proteins. In this paper we give an overview of how electrode surfaces in general and hematite photoanodes in particular can be functionalized with light harvesting proteins. Specifically, we demonstrate how low-cost biomaterials such as cyanobacterial phycocyanin and enzymatically produced melanin increase the overall performance of virtually no-cost metal oxide photoanodes in a PEC system. The implementation of biomaterials changes the overall nature of the photoanode assembly in a way that aggressive alkaline electrolytes such as concentrated KOH are not required anymore. Rather, a more environmentally benign and pH neutral electrolyte can be used.

Efficient chemisorption of organophosphorous redox probes on indium tin oxide surfaces under mild conditions

We report a mild and straightforward one-step chemical surface functionalization of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes by redox-active molecules bearing an organophosphoryl anchoring group (i.e., alkyl phosphate or alkyl phosphonate group). The method takes advantage of simple passive adsorption in an aqueous solution at room temperature. We show that organophosphorus compounds can adsorb much more strongly and stably on an ITO surface than analogous redox-active molecules bearing a carboxylate or a boronate moiety. We provide evidence, through quantitative electrochemical characterization (i.e., by cyclic voltammetry) of the adsorbed organophosphoryl redox-active molecules, of the occurrence of three different adsorbate fractions on ITO, exhibiting different stabilities on the surface. Among these three fractions, one is observed to be strongly chemisorbed, exhibiting high stability and resistance to desorption/hydrolysis in a free-redox probe aqueous buffer. We attribute this remarkable stability to the formation of chemical bonds between the organophosphorus anchoring group and the metal oxide surface, likely occurring through a heterocondensation reaction in water. From XPS analysis, we also demonstrate that the surface coverage of the chemisorbed molecules is highly affected by the degree of surface hydroxylation, a parameter that can be tuned by simply preconditioning the freshly cleaned ITO surfaces in water. The lower the relative surface hydroxide density on ITO, the higher was the surface coverage of the chemisorbed species. This behavior is in line with a chemisorption mechanism involving coordination of a deprotonated phosphoryl oxygen atom to the non-hydroxylated acidic metal sites of ITO.

Nanoporous delafossite CuAlO2 from inorganic/polymer double gels: a desirable high-surface-area p-type transparent electrode material

Nanoporous structures of a p-type semiconductor, delafossite CuAlO(2), with a high crystallinity have been fabricated through an inorganic/polymer double-gel process and characterized for the first time via Mott-Schottky measurements. The effect of the precursor concentration, calcination temperature, and atmosphere were examined to achieve high crystallinity and photoelectrochemical properties while maximizing the porosity. The optical properties of the nanoporous CuAlO(2) are in good agreement with the literature with an optical band gap of 3.9 eV, and the observed high electrical conductivity and hole concentrations conform to highly crystalline and well-sintered nanoparticles observed in the product. The Mott-Schottky plot from the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies indicates a flat-band potential of 0.49 V versus Ag/AgCl. It is concluded that CuAlO(2) exhibits band energies very close to those of NiO but with electrical properties very desirable in the fabrication of photoelectrochemical devices including dye-sensitized solar cells.

Biological components and bioelectronic interfaces of water splitting photoelectrodes for solar hydrogen production

Artificial photosynthesis (AP) is inspired by photosynthesis in nature. In AP, solar hydrogen can be produced by water splitting in photoelectrochemical cells (PEC). The necessary photoelectrodes are inorganic semiconductors. Light-harvesting proteins and biocatalysts can be coupled with these photoelectrodes and thus form bioelectronic interfaces. We expand this concept toward PEC devices with vital bio-organic components and interfaces, and their integration into the built environment.