Enhancement of direct electron transfer in graphene bioelectrodes containing novel cytochrome c553 variants with optimized heme orientation

The highly efficient bioelectrodes based on single layer graphene (SLG) functionalized with pyrene self-assembled monolayer and novel cytochrome c(553) (cyt c(553)) peptide linker variants were rationally designed to optimize the direct electron transfer (DET) between SLG and the heme group of cyt. Through a combination of photoelectrochemical and quantum mechanical (QM/MM) approaches we show that the specific amino acid sequence of a short peptide genetically inserted between the cyt c(553) - holoprotein and the surface anchoring C-terminal His s -tag plays a crucial role in ensuring the optimal orientation and distance of the heme group with respect to the SLG surface. Consequently, efficient DET occurring between graphene and cyt c(553) leads to a 20-fold enhancement of the cathodic photocurrent output compared to the previously reported devices of a similar type. The QM/MM modeling implies that a perpendicular or parallel orientation of the heme group with respect to the SLG surface is detrimental to DET, whereas the tilted orientation favors the cathodic photocurrent generation. Our work confirms the possibility of fine-tuning the electronic communication within complex bio-organic nanoarchitectures and interfaces due to optimization of the tilt angle of the heme group, its distance from the SLG surface and optimal HOMO/LUMO levels of the interacting redox centers. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

By rationally designing and optimizing the structure of bioelectrodes, the efficiency of direct electron transfer between graphene and cytochrome was significantly improved, leading to a substantial increase in cathodic photocurrent output. The tilted orientation was found to favor cathodic photocurrent generation, providing new possibilities for fine-tuning electronic communication within complex bio-organic nanostructures and interfaces.