Diffusion model for charge transfer from a photosynthetic reaction center to an electrode in a photovoltaic device

In spite of a high quantum efficiency in the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center (RC) the overall efficiency in a RC-based photovoltaic device is very poor partly because of an inefficient collection of charges by electrodes. To explain charge transport between the RC and an electrode a diffusion model is proposed. The numerical solution of the diffusion process describes the measured photocurrent well. An approximation of the initial condition is also made to obtain analytical expressions for the photocurrent. The model suggests that the slow transient response of the photocurrent is due to the diffusion in a biological photovoltaic device. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.