Photosynthetic Electron Transfer from Reaction Center Pigment-Protein Complex in Silica Nanopores

A photosynthetic reaction center (RC) pigment-protein complex purified from a thermophilic purple photosynthetic bacterium, Thermochromatium tepidum, was adsorbed to a folded-sheet silica mesoporous material (FSM). The RC has a molecular structure with a 7.0 x 5.0 x 13 nm diameter. The amount of RC adsorbed to the FSM compound with an average internal pore diameter of 7.9 nm (FSM7.9) was high at 0.29 gRC/gFSM, while that to the FSM2.7 (2.7 nm diameter) was low at 0.02 gRC/gFSM, suggesting the specific binding of the RC into the 7.9 nm pores of FSM7.9. An N-2-adsorption isotherm study indicated the incorporation of the RC into the 7.9 nm pores. The RC inside FSM79. showed absorption spectra in the visible and infrared regions similar to those of the RC in solution, indicating almost no structural changes induced by the adsorption. The RC-FSM7.9 conjugate showed the high photochemical activity with the increased thermal stability up to 50 degrees C in the measurements by laser spectroscopy. The conjugates rapidly provided electrons to a dye in the outer medium or showed electric current on the ITO electrode upon the illumination. The RC-FSM conjugate will be useful for the construction of artificial photosynthetic systems and new photodevices.