Probing the design principles of photosynthetic systems through fluorescence noise measurement

Elucidating the energetic processes which govern photosynthesis, the engine of life on earth, are an essential goal both for fundamental research and for cutting-edge biotechnological applications. Fluorescent signal of photosynthetic markers has long been utilised in this endeavour. In this research we demonstrate the use of fluorescent noise analysis to reveal further layers of intricacy in photosynthetic energy transfer. While noise is a common tool analysing dynamics in physics and engineering, its application in biology has thus far been limited. Here, a distinct behaviour in photosynthetic pigments across various chemical and biological environments is measured. These changes seem to elucidate quantum effects governing the generation of oxidative radicals. Although our method offers insights, it is important to note that the interpretation should be further validated expertly to support as conclusive theory. This innovative method is simple, non-invasive, and immediate, making it a promising tool to uncover further, more complex energetic events in photosynthesis, with potential uses in environmental monitoring, agriculture, and food-tech.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer between Chlorophyll a and Gold Nanoparticles

Excited-state interactions between chlorophyll a (Chla) and gold nanoparticles have been studied. The emission intensity of Chla is quenched by gold nanoparticles. The dominant process for this quenching has been attributed to the process of photoinduced electron transfer from excited Chla to gold nanoparticles, although because of a small overlap between fluorescence of Chla and absorption of gold nanoparticles, the energy-transfer process cannot be ruled out. Photoinduced electron-transfer mechanism is supported by the electrochemical modulation of fluorescence of Chla. In absence of an applied bias, Chla cast on gold film, as a result of electron transfer, exhibits a very weak fluorescence. However, upon negatively charging the gold nanocore by external bias, an increase in fluorescence intensity is observed. The negatively charged gold nanoparticles create a barrier and suppress the electron-transfer process from excited Chla to gold nanoparticles, resulting in an increase in radiative process. Nanosecond laser flash experiments of Chla in the presence of gold nanoparticles and fullerene (C60) have demonstrated that Au nanoparticles, besides accepting electrons, can also mediate or shuttle electrons to another acceptor. Taking advantage of these properties of gold nanoparticles, a photoelectrochemical cell based on Chla and gold nanoparticles is constructed. A superior performance of this cell compared to that without the gold film is due to the beneficial role of gold nanoparticles in accepting and shuttling the photogenerated electrons in Chla to the collecting electrode, leading to an enhancement in charge separation efficiency.

Electron spin polarization of photosynthetic reactants

Photosynthesis is the conversion of the quantum energy of light into the chemical energy of complex organic molecules and organized cellular structures in plants and in some bacteria. The processes of photosynthesis span the time domain of subpicoseconds to the millennia of slow-growing trees, its study brings together such diverse disciplines as photophysics, biochemistry, botany and ecology. In the last few decades tremendous progress has been made in understanding the multivarious chemical reactions that ultimately lead to the fixation of carbon dioxide into organic substance, yet the basic mechanism underlying the conversion of photon energy into chemical energy still remains very much an enigma. These so-called primary reactions which transduce the excitation energy of excited chlorophyll pigments into the potential energy of stabilized, separated charges on electron donor and electron acceptor molecules have been studied with a variety of physical techniques, among which fast optical spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) are prominent. This review will highlight one intriguing aspect of EPR, namely that of electron spin polarization (ESP).† It will be shown that ESP of photosynthetic primary reactants offers a unique tool to gain insight in the electrostatic and magnetic interactions that make photosynthesis work. Moreover, it will become apparent that ESP in photosynthesis has several unique traits not (yet) found in ESP of photochemical reactionsin vitro. As such, it may serve as a paradigma of ESP phenomena and will present an absorbing spectacle also for EPR spectroscopists outside photosynthesis.