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Vilanova A, Dias P, Lopes T, Mendes A. The route for commercial photoelectrochemical water splitting: a review of large-area devices and key upscaling challenges. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:2388-2434. [PMID: 38288870 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs01069g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Green-hydrogen is considered a "key player" in the energy market for the upcoming decades. Among currently available hydrogen (H2) production processes, photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has one of the lowest environmental impacts. However, it still presents prohibitively high production costs compared to more mature technologies, such as steam methane reforming. Therefore, the competitiveness of PEC water splitting must rely on its environmental and functional advantages, which are strongly linked to the reactor design, to the intrinsic properties of its components, and to their successful upscaling. This review gives special attention to the engineering aspects and categorizes PEC devices into four main types, according to the configuration of electrodes and strategies for gas separation: wired back-to-back, wireless back-to-back, wired side-by-side, and wired separated electrode membrane-free. Independently of the device architecture, the use of concentrated sunlight was found to be mandatory for achieving competitive green-H2 production. Additionally, feasible strategies for upscaling the key components of PEC devices, especially photoelectrodes, are urgently needed. In a pragmatic context, the way to move forward is to accept that PEC devices will operate close to their thermodynamic limits at large-scale, which requires a solid convergence between academics and industry. Research efforts must be redirected to: (i) build and demonstrate modular devices with a low-cost and highly recyclable embodiment; (ii) optimize thermal and power management; (iii) reduce ohmic losses; (iv) enhance the chemical stability towards a thousand hours; (v) couple solar concentrators with PEC devices; (vi) boost PEC-H2 production through the use of organic compounds; and (vii) reach consensual standardized methods for evaluating PEC devices, at both environmental and techno-economic levels. If these targets are not met in the next few years, the feasibility of PEC-H2 production and its acceptance by industry and by the general public will be seriously compromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- António Vilanova
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
- INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Avenida Mestre José Veiga, 4715-330, Braga, Portugal
| | - Paula Dias
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Tânia Lopes
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Adélio Mendes
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
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2
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Bergman M, Xiao X, Hall CK. In Silico Design and Analysis of Plastic-Binding Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:8370-8381. [PMID: 37735840 PMCID: PMC10591858 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Peptides that bind to inorganic materials can be used to functionalize surfaces, control crystallization, or assist in interfacial self-assembly. In the past, inorganic-binding peptides have been found predominantly through peptide library screening. While this method has successfully identified peptides that bind to a variety of materials, an alternative design approach that can intelligently search for peptides and provide physical insight for peptide affinity would be desirable. In this work, we develop a computational, physics-based approach to design inorganic-binding peptides, focusing on peptides that bind to the common plastics polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and poly(ethylene terephthalate). The PepBD algorithm, a Monte Carlo method that samples peptide sequence and conformational space, was modified to include simulated annealing, relax hydration constraints, and an ensemble of conformations to initiate design. These modifications led to the discovery of peptides with significantly better scores compared to those obtained using the original PepBD. PepBD scores were found to improve with increasing van der Waals interactions, although strengthening the intermolecular van der Waals interactions comes at the cost of introducing unfavorable electrostatic interactions. The best designs are enriched in amino acids with bulky side chains and possess hydrophobic and hydrophilic patches whose location depends on the adsorbed conformation. Future work will evaluate the top peptide designs in molecular dynamics simulations and experiment, enabling their application in microplastic pollution remediation and plastic-based biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bergman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27606, USA
| | - Xingqing Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Hainan University, Longhua District, Haikou, Hainan, 571101, China
| | - Carol K. Hall
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27606, USA
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3
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Zaspa AA, Vitukhnovskaya LA, Mamedova AM, Semenov AY, Mamedov MD. Photovoltage generation by photosystem II core complexes immobilized onto a Millipore filter on an indium tin oxide electrode. J Bioenerg Biomembr 2020; 52:495-504. [PMID: 33190172 DOI: 10.1007/s10863-020-09857-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The light-induced functioning of photosynthetic pigment-protein complex of photosystem II (PSII) is linked to the vectorial translocation of charges across the membrane, which results in the formation of voltage. Direct measurement of the light-induced voltage (∆V) generated by spinach oxygen-evolving PSII core complexes adsorbed onto a Millipore membrane filter (MF) on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode under continuous illumination has been performed. PSII was shown to participate in electron transfer from water to the ITO electrode, resulting in ∆V generation. No photovoltage was detected in PSII deprived of the water-oxidizing complex. The maximal and stable photoelectric signal was observed in the presence of disaccharide trehalose and 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone, acting as a redox mediator between the primary quinone acceptor QA of PSII and electrode surface. Long time preservation of the steady-state photoactivity at room temperature in a simple in design ITO|PSII-MF|ITO system may be related to the retention of water molecules attached to the PSII surface in the presence of trehalose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey A Zaspa
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Liya A Vitukhnovskaya
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Aida M Mamedova
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Yu Semenov
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mahir D Mamedov
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
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4
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Porav AS, Bocăneală M, Fălămaş A, Bogdan DF, Barbu-Tudoran L, Hegeduş A, Dragoş N. Sequential aqueous two-phase system for simultaneous purification of cyanobacterial phycobiliproteins. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 315:123794. [PMID: 32712512 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A logical framework was used for designing a top-down strategy for cyanobacterial phycobiliprotein purification. The purification scheme is based on the non-chromatographic technique, known as aqueous two-phase system. The scheme was optimized at every stage to enhance the recovery yield with the highest purity. We tested this strategy on four cyanobacteria, two containing only phycocyanin and allophycocyanin (Arthrospira platensis AICB49, Synechocystis sp. AICB51) and two that have an extra phycobiliprotein, namely phycoerythrin (Fremyella sp. UTEX481, Coelomoron pussilum AICB1012). The results showed that the recovery efficiency of the phycobiliproteins is strongly influenced by the phycobilisome composition. For the first two strains the recovery yield of both phycocyanin and allophycocyanin was >80%, with an analytical purity grade for phycocyanin (>4.2) and a reactive purity grade for allophycocyanin (>2.9). The recovery yield of phycoerythrin was lower but compensating with an increase in purity, 5.2 for Fremyella and 4.5 for C. pussilum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alin Sebastian Porav
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babeş-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor St., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat St., 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Maricel Bocăneală
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babeş-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor St., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat St., 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alexandra Fălămaş
- National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat St., 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Diana Felicia Bogdan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babeş-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor St., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Lucian Barbu-Tudoran
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babeş-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor St., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat St., 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adriana Hegeduş
- National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Institute of Biological Research, 48 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Nicolae Dragoş
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babeş-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor St., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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5
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Roxby DN, Yuan Z, Krishnamoorthy S, Wu P, Tu W, Chang G, Lau R, Chen Y. Enhanced Biophotocurrent Generation in Living Photosynthetic Optical Resonator. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:1903707. [PMID: 32537412 PMCID: PMC7284217 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201903707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Bioenergy from photosynthetic living organisms is a potential solution for energy-harvesting and bioelectricity-generation issues. With the emerging interest in biophotovoltaics, extracting electricity from photosynthetic organisms remains challenging because of the low electron-transition rate and photon collection efficiency due to membrane shielding. In this study, the concept of "photosynthetic resonator" to amplify biological nanoelectricity through the confinement of living microalgae (Chlorella sp.) in an optical micro/nanocavity is demonstrated. Strong energy coupling between the Fabry-Perot cavity mode and photosynthetic resonance offers the potential of exploiting optical resonators to amplify photocurrent generation as well as energy harvesting. Biomimetic models and living photosynthesis are explored in which the power is increased by almost 600% and 200%, respectively. Systematic studies of photosystem fluorescence and photocurrent are simultaneously carried out. Finally, an optofluidic-based photosynthetic device is developed. It is envisaged that the key innovations proposed in this study can provide comprehensive insights in biological-energy sciences, suggesting a new avenue to amplify electrochemical signals using an optical cavity. Promising applications include photocatalysis, photoelectrochemistry, biofuel devices, and sustainable optoelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N. Roxby
- School of Electrical and Electronics EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Zhiyi Yuan
- School of Electrical and Electronics EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Sankaran Krishnamoorthy
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
| | - Pinchieh Wu
- Department of PhotonicsNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan CityTaiwan
| | - Wei‐Chen Tu
- Department of Electrical EngineeringNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan CityTaiwan
| | - Guo‐En Chang
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringNational Chung Cheng UniversityChiayiTaiwan
| | - Raymond Lau
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
| | - Yu‐Cheng Chen
- School of Electrical and Electronics EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
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6
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BRITO ADRIANNEM, BELLETI ELISANGELA, MENEZES LUCIVALDOR, LANFREDI ALEXANDREJ, NANTES-CARDOS ISELIL. Proteins and Peptides at the Interfaces of Nanostructures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 91:e20181236. [DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201920181236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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7
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Amao Y, Fujimura M, Miyazaki M, Tadokoro A, Nakamura M, Shuto N. A visible-light driven electrochemical biofuel cell with the function of CO2conversion to formic acid: coupled thylakoid from microalgae and biocatalyst immobilized electrodes. NEW J CHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1039/c8nj01118d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. Amao
- Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology
- Osaka City University
- Osaka 558-8585
- Japan
- Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis
| | - M. Fujimura
- Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology
- Osaka City University
- Osaka 558-8585
- Japan
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO)
| | - M. Miyazaki
- Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology
- Osaka City University
- Osaka 558-8585
- Japan
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO)
| | - A. Tadokoro
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO)
- Japan Science and Technology Agency
- Saitama 332-0012
- Japan
- Department of Applied Chemistry
| | - M. Nakamura
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO)
- Japan Science and Technology Agency
- Saitama 332-0012
- Japan
- Department of Applied Chemistry
| | - N. Shuto
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO)
- Japan Science and Technology Agency
- Saitama 332-0012
- Japan
- Department of Applied Chemistry
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8
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Milczek EM. Commercial Applications for Enzyme-Mediated Protein Conjugation: New Developments in Enzymatic Processes to Deliver Functionalized Proteins on the Commercial Scale. Chem Rev 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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9
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Schuergers N, Werlang C, Ajo-Franklin CM, Boghossian AA. A Synthetic Biology Approach to Engineering Living Photovoltaics. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2017; 10:1102-1115. [PMID: 28694844 PMCID: PMC5501249 DOI: 10.1039/c7ee00282c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to electronically interface living cells with electron accepting scaffolds is crucial for the development of next-generation biophotovoltaic technologies. Although recent studies have focused on engineering synthetic interfaces that can maximize electronic communication between the cell and scaffold, the efficiency of such devices is limited by the low conductivity of the cell membrane. This review provides a materials science perspective on applying a complementary, synthetic biology approach to engineering membrane-electrode interfaces. It focuses on the technical challenges behind the introduction of foreign extracellular electron transfer pathways in bacterial host cells and the past and future efforts to engineer photosynthetic organisms with artificial electron-export capabilities for biophotovoltaic applications. The article highlights advances in engineering protein-based, electron-exporting conduits in a model host organism, E. coli, before reviewing state-of-the-art biophotovoltaic technologies that use both unmodified and bioengineered photosynthetic bacteria with improved electron transport capabilities. A thermodynamic analysis is used to propose an energetically feasible pathway for extracellular electron transport in engineered cyanobacteria and identify metabolic bottlenecks amenable to protein engineering techniques. Based on this analysis, an engineered photosynthetic organism expressing a foreign, protein-based electron conduit yields a maximum theoretical solar conversion efficiency of 6-10% without accounting for additional bioengineering optimizations for light-harvesting.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Schuergers
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C. Werlang
- Interschool Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C. M. Ajo-Franklin
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Synthetic Biology Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - A. A. Boghossian
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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10
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Schrantz K, Wyss PP, Ihssen J, Toth R, Bora DK, Vitol EA, Rozhkova EA, Pieles U, Thöny-Meyer L, Braun A. Hematite photoanode co-functionalized with self-assembling melanin and C-phycocyanin for solar water splitting at neutral pH. Catal Today 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2016.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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11
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Hyperspectral infrared nanoimaging of organic samples based on Fourier transform infrared nanospectroscopy. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14402. [PMID: 28198384 PMCID: PMC5316859 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Infrared nanospectroscopy enables novel possibilities for chemical and structural analysis of nanocomposites, biomaterials or optoelectronic devices. Here we introduce hyperspectral infrared nanoimaging based on Fourier transform infrared nanospectroscopy with a tunable bandwidth-limited laser continuum. We describe the technical implementations and present hyperspectral infrared near-field images of about 5,000 pixel, each one covering the spectral range from 1,000 to 1,900 cm−1. To verify the technique and to demonstrate its application potential, we imaged a three-component polymer blend and a melanin granule in a human hair cross-section, and demonstrate that multivariate data analysis can be applied for extracting spatially resolved chemical information. Particularly, we demonstrate that distribution and chemical interaction between the polymer components can be mapped with a spatial resolution of about 30 nm. We foresee wide application potential of hyperspectral infrared nanoimaging for valuable chemical materials characterization and quality control in various fields ranging from materials sciences to biomedicine. In hyperspectral imaging a broadband spectrum is recorded at each pixel, which creates information-rich images. Here, the authors combine this concept with Fourier transform infrared nanospectroscopy to achieve 5,000-pixel, nanoscale-resolution images at wavelengths between 5 and 10 micrometres.
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Janna Olmos JD, Becquet P, Gront D, Sar J, Dąbrowski A, Gawlik G, Teodorczyk M, Pawlak D, Kargul J. Biofunctionalisation of p-doped silicon with cytochrome c553minimises charge recombination and enhances photovoltaic performance of the all-solid-state photosystem I-based biophotoelectrode. RSC Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ra10895h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Passivation of p-doped silicon substrate was achieved by its biofunctionalisation with hexahistidine-tagged cytochrome c553, a soluble electroactive photosynthetic protein responsible for electron donation to photooxidised photosystem I.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dominik Gront
- Laboratory of Theory of Biopolymers
- Faculty of Chemistry
- University of Warsaw
- 02-093 Warsaw
- Poland
| | - Jarosław Sar
- Institute of Electronic Materials Technology
- 01-919 Warsaw
- Poland
| | | | - Grzegorz Gawlik
- Institute of Electronic Materials Technology
- 01-919 Warsaw
- Poland
| | | | - Dorota Pawlak
- Institute of Electronic Materials Technology
- 01-919 Warsaw
- Poland
- Laboratory of Materials Technology
- Centre for New Technologies
| | - Joanna Kargul
- Solar Fuels Laboratory
- Centre for New Technologies
- University of Warsaw
- 02-097 Warsaw
- Poland
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Halan B, Tschörtner J, Schmid A. Generating Electric Current by Bioartificial Photosynthesis. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 167:361-393. [PMID: 29224082 DOI: 10.1007/10_2017_44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Abundant solar energy can be a sustainable source of energy. This chapter highlights recent advancements, challenges, and future scenarios in bioartificial photosynthesis, which is a new subset of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) and technologies. BES technologies exploit the catalytic interactions between biological moieties and electrodes. At the nexus of BES and photovoltaics, this review focuses on light-harvesting technologies based on bioartificial photosynthesis. Such technologies are promising because electrical energy is generated from sunlight and water without the need for additional organic feedstock. This review focuses on photosynthetic electron generation and transfer and compares the current status of bioartificial photosynthesis with other artificial systems that mimic the chemistry of photosynthetic energy transformation.The fundamental principles and the operation of functional units of bioartificial photosynthesis are addressed. Selected photobioelectrochemical systems employed to obtain light-driven electric currents from photosynthetic organisms are presented. The achievable current output and theoretical maxima are revisited by conceptualizing operational and process window techniques. Factors affecting overall photocurrent efficiency, performance limitations, and scaleup bottlenecks are highlighted in view of enhancing the energy conversion efficiency of photobioelectrochemical systems. To finish, the challenges associated with bioartificial photosynthetic technologies are outlined. Graphical Abstract Operational window for (bio-)artificial photosynthesis. Green circle in the upper right corner: development objective for research and engineering efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babu Halan
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jenny Tschörtner
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Schmid
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.
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14
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Ross A, Durmaz H, Cheng K, Deng X, Liu Y, Oh J, Chen Z, Lahann J. Selective and Reversible Binding of Thiol-Functionalized Biomolecules on Polymers Prepared via Chemical Vapor Deposition Polymerization. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2015; 31:5123-5129. [PMID: 25869214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We use chemical vapor deposition polymerization to prepare a novel dibromomaleimide-functionalized polymer for selective and reversible binding of thiol-containing biomolecules on a broad range of substrates. We report the synthesis and CVD polymerization of 4-(3,4-dibromomaleimide)[2.2]paracyclophane to yield nanometer thick polymer coatings. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the chemical composition of the polymer coating. The reactivity of the polymer coating toward thiol-functionalized molecules was confirmed using fluorescent ligands. As a proof of concept, the binding and subsequent release of cysteine-modified peptides from the polymer coating were also demonstrated via sum frequency generation spectroscopy. This reactive polymer coating provides a flexible surface modification approach to selectively and reversibly bind biomolecules on a broad range of materials, which could open up new opportunities in many biomedical sensing and diagnostic applications where specific binding and release of target analytes are desired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aftin Ross
- †Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Hakan Durmaz
- ‡Department of Chemistry, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Joerg Lahann
- †Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
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15
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Yaghoubi H, Lafalce E, Jun D, Jiang X, Beatty JT, Takshi A. Large photocurrent response and external quantum efficiency in biophotoelectrochemical cells incorporating reaction center plus light harvesting complexes. Biomacromolecules 2015; 16:1112-8. [PMID: 25798701 DOI: 10.1021/bm501772x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs) are promising materials for solar energy harvesting, due to their high ratio of photogenerated electrons to absorbed photons and long recombination time of generated charges. In this work, photoactive electrodes were prepared from a bacterial RC-light-harvesting 1 (LH1) core complex, where the RC is encircled by the LH1 antenna, to increase light capture. A simple immobilization method was used to prepare RC-LH1 photoactive layer. Herein, we demonstrate that the combination of pretreatment of the RC-LH1 protein complexes with quinone and the immobilization method results in biophotoelectrochemical cells with a large peak transient photocurrent density and photocurrent response of 7.1 and 3.5 μA cm(-2), respectively. The current study with monochromatic excitation showed maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) and photocurrent density of 0.21% and 2 μA cm(-2), respectively, with illumination power of ∼6 mW cm(-2) at ∼875 nm, under ambient conditions. This work provides new directions to higher performance biophotoelectrochemical cells as well as possibly other applications of this broadly functional photoactive material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houman Yaghoubi
- †Bio/Organic Electronics Lab, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Evan Lafalce
- ‡Soft Semiconducting Materials and Devices Lab, Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Daniel Jun
- §Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Xiaomei Jiang
- ‡Soft Semiconducting Materials and Devices Lab, Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - J Thomas Beatty
- §Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Arash Takshi
- †Bio/Organic Electronics Lab, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
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Braun A, Boudoire F, Bora DK, Faccio G, Hu Y, Kroll A, Mun BS, Wilson ST. Biological components and bioelectronic interfaces of water splitting photoelectrodes for solar hydrogen production. Chemistry 2014; 21:4188-99. [PMID: 25504590 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201405123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur Braun
- Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics, Empa. Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland).
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