Nano-sized layered manganese oxide in a poly-L-glutamic acid matrix: a biomimetic, homogenized, heterogeneous structural model for the water-oxidizing complex in photosystem II

We, for the first time, report a nano-sized layered Mn-Ca oxide in poly-L-glutamic acid as a structural model for biological water-oxidizing sites in plants, algae and cyanobacteria. The compound was synthesized by a simple method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electrochemistry. The results show the important effect of PGA on the electrochemistry of a Mn-Ca oxide.