Journal
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Volume 28, Issue 5, Pages -Publisher
IOP PUBLISHING LTD
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/28/5/054006
Keywords
reaction center (RC) complex; biomimetic solar energy conversion; photoactive electrode; self-assembly; solar cell; ZnO; purple bacteria
Funding
- National Science Foundation [NSF 1400017, NSF DMR-0906922, DMR 1035196]
- Genome British Columbia
- Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council [2796]
- Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
- Directorate For Engineering [1400017] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Harvesting solar energy as a carbon free source can be a promising solution to the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Biophotovoltaics seek to mimic photosynthesis to harvest solar energy and to take advantage of the low material costs, negative carbon footprint, and material abundance. In the current study, we report on a combination of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires with monolayers of photosynthetic reaction centers which are self-assembled, via a cytochrome c linker, as photoactive electrode. In a three-probe biophotovoltaics cell, a photocurrent density of 5.5 mu A cm(-2) and photovoltage of 36 mV was achieved, using methyl viologen as a redox mediator in the electrolyte. Using ferrocene as a redox mediator a transient photocurrent density of 8.0 mu A cm(-2) was obtained, which stabilized at 6.4 mu A cm(-2) after 20 s. In-depth electronic structure characterization using photoemission spectroscopy in conjunction with electrochemical analysis suggests that the fabricated photoactive electrode can provide a proper electronic path for electron transport all the way from the conduction band of the ZnO nanowires, through the protein linker to the RC, and ultimately via redox mediator to the counter electrode.
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