Parallels between enzyme catalysis, electrocatalysis, and photoelectrosynthesis

Catalysts are central to accelerating chemistry in biology and technology. In biochemistry, the relationship between the velocity of an enzymatic reaction and the concentration of chemical substrates is described via the Michaelis- Menten model. The modeling and benchmarking of synthetic molecular electrocatalysts are also well developed. However, such efforts have not been as rigorously extended to photoelectrosynthetic reactions, where, in addition to chemical substrates and charge carriers, light is a required reagent. In this perspective, we draw parallels between concepts involving enzyme catalytic efficiency, the benchmarking of molecular electrocatalysts, and the performance of photoelectrosynthetic assemblies, while highlighting key differences, assumptions, and limitations.

Automated summary

Catalysts play a central role in accelerating chemical reactions in biology and technology, but research on photoelectrosynthetic reactions has not been as rigorously pursued as in other areas. This perspective draws parallels between enzyme catalytic efficiency, benchmarking of molecular electrocatalysts, and the performance of photoelectrosynthetic assemblies, highlighting key differences, assumptions, and limitations.