Enhanced photocurrent generation by photosynthetic bacterial reaction centers through molecular relays, light-harvesting complexes, and direct protein-gold interactions

The utilization of proteins as nanodevices for solar cells, bioelectronics, and sensors generally necessitates the transfer of electrons to or from a conducting material. Here we report on efforts to maximize photocurrent generation by bacterial photosynthetic reaction center pigment-protein complexes (RCs) interfaced with a metal electrode. The possibility of adhering RCs to a bare gold electrode was investigated with a view to minimizing the distance for electron tunneling between the protein-embedded electron-transfer cofactors and the metal surface. Substantial photocurrents were achieved despite the absence of coating layers on the electrode or engineered linkers to achieve the oriented deposition of RCs on the surface. Comparison with SAM-covered gold electrodes indicating enhanced photocurrent densities was achieved because of the absence of an insulating layer between the photoactive pigments and the metal. Utilizing RCs surrounded by light-harvesting 1 complex resulted in higher photocurrents, surprisingly not due to enhanced photoabsorption but likely due to better surface coverage of uniformly oriented RC-LH1 complexes and the presence of a tetraheme cytochrome that could act as a connecting wire. The introduction of cytochrome-c (cyt-c) as a molecular relay also produced increases in current, probably by intercalating between the adhered RCs or RC-LH1 complexes and the electrode to mediate electron transfer. Varying the order in which components were introduced to the electrode indicated that dynamic rearrangements of RCs and cyt-c occurred at the bare metal surface. An upper limit for current generation could not be detected within the range of the illumination power available, with the maximum current density achieved by RC-LH1 complexes being on the order of 25 μA/cm(2). High currents could be generated consecutively for several hours or days under ambient conditions.     

Kinetic model of the photocatalytic effect of a Photosystem I monolayer on a planar electrode surface

Photosystem I (PSI), a photoactive protein complex that participates in the light reactions of natural photosynthesis, can exhibit photocatalytic capabilities when incorporated to electrochemical systems. Here we present a simulation for the photoelectrochemical behavior of an electrode modified with a monolayer of Photosystem I complexes during photochronoamperometric experiments in which the electrode is exposed to periods of darkness and irradiation. A kinetic model is derived from conservation statements for the various oxidation states of the reaction centers of PSI complexes and electrochemical mediators within the system. The kinetic parameters that dictate the performance of the simulation are extracted from experimental data and the resulting simulation is capable of predicting the photochronoamperometric behavior of the system over a range of overpotentials. The model is used to investigate the various contributions to the photocurrent production of the system as well as the effects of the orientation of PSI complexes adsorbed to the electrode surface.     

热对镍阳极膜光电流测定的影响

镍在碱溶液中阳极膜的形成和性质与化学电源和金属腐蚀等有关．在这方面已有较深入的研究报导．其研究方法也是多种多样,除一般的电化学方法［１,２］外,还有许多现场谱学方法,如：紫外＿可见光谱［３］,红外光谱［４］,光热光谱［５］,拉曼光谱［６］,椭圆法［７...     

热对银电极阳极膜光电流测定的影响

利用光电流 ,光热信息和热电流方法研究了热对Ag在 1mol/LNaOH溶液中表面阳极膜光电流的影响 .所用光源为 4 88nm和 5 32nm的激光 .结果表明Ag2 O层具有半导体光电流特性 ,在Ag ,Ag2 O和AgO的转变过程中 ,光照下电极表面的温升不同 .对照循环伏安曲线 ,及光电流和热电流曲线 ,可以证明在电位朝负方向扫描过程中于 0 .37V出现的阳极光电流峰和 0 .1V出现的阴极光电流峰主要是由光照下温度升高引起的热电流所造成的 .光电流和热电流随着光强度的增强而线性增强     

Rapid assembly of photosystem I monolayers on gold electrodes

Photosystem I (PSI) has drawn widespread interest for use in biomimetically inspired energy conversion devices upon extracting it from plants or cyanobacteria and assembling it at surfaces. Here, we demonstrate that a critically dense monolayer of spinach-derived PSI must be formed on an electrode surface to achieve optimal photocurrents, and we introduce a new method for preparing these dense PSI monolayers that reduces the time required for assembly by approximately 80-fold in comparison to that for adsorption from solution. This method consists of applying a vacuum above the aqueous PSI solution during assembly to concentrate PSI and precipitate it into a thick layer onto the surface of various self-assembled monolayers or directly onto the electrode surface. Rinsing with water yields a dense monolayer of PSI that draws approximately 100 nA/cm2 of light-induced current from the gold electrode in the presence of appropriate mediators.     

Near-IR light-sensitized voltaic conversion system using nanocrystalline TiO2 film by Zn chlorophyll derivative aggregate

A Zn chlorophyll-a derivative, Zn chlorin-e6 (ZnChl-e6), adsorbed onto a nanocrystalline TiO2 film (ZnChl-e6/TiO2) electrode was prepared, and the photovoltaic properties of the ZnChl-e6/TiO2 electrode were studied. The absorption peaks of ZnChl-e6/TiO2 observed at 420, 654, and 795 nm were attributed to the ZnChl-e6 molecules aggregating onto TiO2 film. The fluorescence attributed to the ZnChl-e6 monomer and aggregate was observed at 710 and 820 nm, respectively, and the fluorescence in both cases was quenched by TiO2 particles. The maximum of the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) value in the photocurrent action spectrum was 800 nm, and the IPCE value was 7.0%. ZnChl-e6 molecules formed aggregates on a nanocrystalline TiO2 film electrode. From the photocurrent-photovoltage characteristics of the ZnChl-e6/TiO2 electrode irradiated with 100 mW cm(-2), the short-circuit photocurrent (I(SC)) was found to be 0.19 mA cm(-2) and the open-circuit photovoltage (V(OC)) was found to be 375 mV. The maximum power was estimated to be 28.7 microW cm(-2), and the fill factor (FF) was estimated to be 40.1%. A near-IR light induced photovoltaic conversion system using a ZnChl-e6 aggregate formed onto a nanocrystalline TiO2 film electrode was achieved.     

Self-assembly and sensor response of photosynthetic reaction centers on screen-printed electrodes

Photosynthetic reaction centers were immobilized onto gold screen-printed electrodes (Au-SPEs) using a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) which was deliberately defective in order to achieve effective mediator transfer to the electrodes. The pure Photosystem II (PS II) cores from spinach immobilize onto the electrodes very efficiently but fair badly in terms of photocurrent response (measured using duroquinone as the redox mediator). The cruder preparation of PS II known as BBY particles performs significantly better under the same experimental conditions and shows a photocurrent response of 20-35 nA (depending on preparation) per screen-printed electrode surface (12.5mm(2)). The data was corroborated using AFM, showing that in the case of BBY particles a defective biolayer is indeed formed, with grooves spanning the whole thickness of the layer enhancing the possibility of mass transfer to the electrodes and enabling biosensing. In comparison, the PS II core layer showed ultra-dense organization, with additional formation of aggregates on top of the single protein layer, thus blocking mediator access to the electrodes and/or binding sites. The defective monolayer biosensor with BBY particles was successfully applied for the detection of photosynthesis inhibitors, demonstrating that the inhibitor binding site remained accessible to both the inhibitor and the external redox mediator. Biosensing was demonstrated using picric acid and atrazine. The detection limits were 1.15 nM for atrazine and 157 nM for picric acid.     

Synthesis and characterization of a p-type boron arsenide photoelectrode

A p-type boron arsenide photoelectrode was prepared from a material consisting of a thin layer of boron arsenide on a boron substrate. The structure of the material was identified using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, and the surface composition was determined by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrode was found to be photoactive under both visible light and UV-vis irradiation and displayed a photocurrent of ~0.1 mA/cm(2) under UV-vis irradiation at an applied potential of -0.25 V vs Ag/AgCl. Mott-Schottky plots for this boron arsenide electrode displayed an estimated flat-band potential near the onset photopotential. The estimated indirect band gap, as determined from incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency plots, is 1.46 ± 0.02 eV.     

Two Photoelectrochemical Processes for TiO2 Electrode under UV Illumination

TiO2 thin film electrode was prepared by a sol-gel method on ITO substrates. Cyclic voltammetric behavior of the ITO/TiO2 electrode under ultraviolet (UV) illumination was investigated in the solution of Na2SO4.There are two photoelectrochemical processes for TiO2 electrode under UV illumination.One is a fast process,which results in the appearance of anodic photocurrent.The anodic photocurrent will appear and disappear with the light on and off.The other is a slow process,which will be responsible for the appearance of an oxidative peak. When the electrode is illuminated under UV light for a long time,a new oxidative peak can be observed.The peak current increases with the increase of UV illumination time.It is assumed that the new peak belongs to the oxidation of Ti^3 ,which formed and accumulated on the electrode surface during the UV illumination.A detailed mechanism is proposed on the base of these two photoelectrochemical processes.It is assumed that the change of hydrophilicity of TiO2 thin film may be related to the slow process while the film irradiated by UV light.     

Electrochemical and PM-IRRAS studies of potential controlled transformations of phospholipid layers on Au(111) electrodes

Chronocoulometry and photon polarisation modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) have been employed to study the fusion of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) vesicles onto a Au(111) electrode surface. The results show that fusion of the vesicles is controlled by the electrode potential or charge at the electrode surface (sigmaM). At charge densities of -15 microC cm(-2) < sigmaM < 0 microC cm(-2), DMPC vesicles fuse to form a condensed film. When sigmaM < -15 microC cm(-2), de-wetting of the film from the electrode surface occurs. The film is detached from the electrode surface; however, phospholipid molecules remain in its close proximity in an ad-vesicle state. The state of the film can be conveniently changed by adjustment of the potential applied to the gold electrode. PM-IRRAS experiments demonstrated that the potential-controlled transitions between various DMPC states proceed without conformational changes and changes in the packing of the acyl chains of DMPC molecules. However, a remarkable change in the tilt angle of the acyl chains with respect to the surface normal occurs when ad-vesicles spread to form a film at the gold surface. When the bilayer is formed at the gold surface, the acyl chains of DMPC molecules are significantly tilted. The IR spectra have also demonstrated a pronounced change in the hydration of the polar head region that accompanies the spreading of ad-vesicles into the film. For the film deposited at the electrode surface, the infrared results showed that the temperature-controlled phase transition from the gel state to the liquid crystalline state occurs within the same temperature range as that observed for aqueous solutions of vesicles. The results presented in this work show that PM-FTIR spectroscopy, in combination with electrochemical techniques, is an extremely powerful tool for the study of the structure of model membrane systems at electrode surfaces.     

后处理对TiO_2纳米晶膜电极光电性能的改善(英文)

利用TiCl4 水溶液处理TiO2 纳米晶膜电极 ,可以提高光电流 ,改善电极的光电转换性能 .对未经处理和处理后电极的比表面、孔分布 ,以及瞬态光电流分析表明 ,后处理改善了电荷在电极中的传输 ,从而提高了光电流     

Efficient charge injection from the S2 photoexcited state of special-pair mimic porphyrin assemblies anchored on a titanium-modified ITO anode

A novel surface fabrication methodology has been accomplished, aimed at efficient anodic photocurrent generation by a photoexcited porphyrin on an ITO (indium-tin oxide) electrode. The ITO electrode was submitted to a surface sol-gel process with titanium n-butoxide in order to deposit a titanium monolayer. Subsequently, porphyrins were assembled as monolayers on the titanium-treated ITO surface via phosphonate, isophthalate, and thiolate groups. Slipped-cofacial porphyrin dimers, the so-called artificial special pair at the photoreaction center, were organized through imidazolyl-to-zinc complementary coordination of imidazolylporphyrinatozinc(II) units, which were covalently immobilized by ring-closing olefin metathesis of allyl side chains. The modified surfaces were analyzed by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Photoirradiation of the porphyrin dimer generated a large anodic photocurrent in aqueous electrolyte solution containing hydroquinone as an electron sacrificer, due to the small reorganization energy of the dimer. The use of different linker groups led to significant differences in the efficiencies of anodic photocurrent generation. The apparent flat-band potentials evaluated from the photocurrent properties at various pH values and under biased conditions imply that the band structure of the ITO electrode is modified by the anchoring species. The quantum yield for the anodic photocurrent generation by photoexcitation at the Soret band is increased to 15 %, a surprisingly high value without a redox cascade structure on the ITO electrode surface, while excitation at the Q band is not so significant. Extensive exploration of the photocurrent properties has revealed that hot injection of the photoexcited electron from the S2 level into the conduction band of the ITO electrode takes place before internal conversion to the S1* state, through the strong electronic communication of the phosphonyl anchor with the sol-gel-modified ITO surface.     

Enhanced water photolysis with Pt metal nanoparticles on single crystal TiO2 surfaces

Two novel deposition methods were used to synthesize Pt-TiO(2) composite photoelectrodes: a tilt-target room temperature sputtering method and aerosol-chemical vapor deposition (ACVD). Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were sequentially deposited by the tilt-target room temperature sputtering method onto the as-synthesized nanostructured columnar TiO(2) films by ACVD. By varying the sputtering time of Pt deposition, the size of deposited Pt NPs on the TiO(2) film could be precisely controlled. The as-synthesized composite photoelectrodes with different sizes of Pt NPs were characterized by various methods, such as SEM, EDS, TEM, XRD, and UV-vis. The photocurrent measurements revealed that the modification of the TiO(2) surface with Pt NPs improved the photoelectrochemical properties of electrodes. Performance of the Pt-TiO(2) composite photoelectrodes with sparsely deposited 1.15 nm Pt NPs was compared to the pristine TiO(2) photoelectrode with higher saturated photocurrents (7.92 mA/cm(2) to 9.49 mA/cm(2)), enhanced photoconversion efficiency (16.2% to 21.2%), and increased fill factor (0.66 to 0.70). For larger size Pt NPs of 3.45 nm, the composite photoelectrode produced a lower photocurrent and reduced conversion efficiency compared to the pristine TiO(2) electrode. However, the surface modification by Pt NPs helped the composite electrode maintain higher fill factor values.     

Characterization of nanoporous gold electrodes for bioelectrochemical applications

The high surface areas of nanostructured electrodes can provide for significantly enhanced surface loadings of electroactive materials. The fabrication and characterization of nanoporous gold (np-Au) substrates as electrodes for bioelectrochemical applications is described. Robust np-Au electrodes were prepared by sputtering a gold-silver alloy onto a glass support and subsequent dealloying of the silver component. Alloy layers were prepared with either a uniform or nonuniform distribution of silver and, post dealloying, showed clear differences in morphology on characterization with scanning electron microscopy. Redox reactions under kinetic control, in particular measurement of the charge required to strip a gold oxide layer, provided the most accurate measurements of the total electrochemically addressable electrode surface area, A(real). Values of A(real) up to 28 times that of the geometric electrode surface area, A(geo), were obtained. For diffusion-controlled reactions, overlapping diffusion zones between adjacent nanopores established limiting semi-infinite linear diffusion fields where the maximum current density was dependent on A(geo). The importance of measuring the surface area available for the immobilization was determined using the redox protein, cyt c. The area accessible to modification by a biological macromolecule, A(macro), such as cyt c was reduced by up to 40% compared to A(real), demonstrating that the confines of some nanopores were inaccessible to large macromolecules due to steric hindrances. Preliminary studies on the preparation of np-Au electrodes modified with osmium redox polymer hydrogels and Myrothecium verrucaria bilirubin oxidase (MvBOD) as a biocathode were performed; current densities of 500 μA cm(-2) were obtained in unstirred solutions.     

PROPERTIES OF THE CHLOROPLAST FILM ELECTRODE IMMOBILIZED ON AN SnO2-COATED GLASS PLATE

Abstract— Type C chloroplasts were deposited on the surface of an SnO₂ optically transparent electrode glass plate with polyvinyl alcohol plus bovine serum albumin as immobilizing supports. This electrode, on illumination of 250 J/m² in an electrolyte solution, generated anodic photo current more than 150 nA per 10 μg chlorophyll/cm² of the SnO₂ glass plate at a potentiostatic condition of + 0.5 V against a saturated calomel electrode, and gave rise to an open circuit potential up to 300 mV. The photocurrent output was enhanced as high as 60-fold under the short circuit condition by the addition of an artificial electron carrier, l-methoxy-5-methylphenazinium methyl sulfate, to the electrolyte solution. With the electrode poised at +0.5 V against a saturated calomel electrode, the enhancement effect was exhibited as high as 13-fold in the presence of 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol. A photocurrent spectrum coincides well with an absorption spectrum of the chloroplast film electrode. Effects of heat-treatment, photosynthetic inhibitors, and electrolyte's pH on the magnitude of the photocurrent were studied in detail. Water molecule, a primary electron donor in the chloroplast photosystems, contributes to the large majority of photocurrent generation. A minor output was observed with the electrode coated with completely inactivated chloroplasts, probably due to the chlorophyll photosensitization.     

Single‐Nanoparticle Collision Events: Tunneling Electron Transfer on a Titanium Dioxide Passivated n‐Silicon Electrode

Single‐nanoparticle collisions were observed on an n‐type silicon electrode (600 μm diameter) passivated by a thin layer of amorphous TiO₂, where the current steps occurred by tunneling electron transfer. The observed collision frequency was in reasonable agreement with that predicted from theory. The isolated electrode, after a collision experiment, with a Pt/TiO₂/n‐Si architecture was shown to retain the photoelectrochemical properties of n‐Si without photocorrosion or current decay. The Pt/TiO₂/n‐Si electrode produced 19 mA cm^?2 of photocurrent density under 100 mW cm^?2 irradiation from a xenon lamp during oxygen evolution without current fading for over 12 h.     

PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY AND PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECTS IN LANGMUIR-BLODGETT FILMS OF CHLOROPHYLL-a

The DC photoconductivity and photovoltaic effect in Langmuir films of Chlorophyll- a (Chi a ) of precisely controlled thickness formed between Al and Au electrodes have been extensively investigated. The dark conductivity and dark voltage are almost abolished in a N₂ atmosphere. The action spectrum of the photocurrent closely resembles the monolayer absorption spectrum of Chl indicating that the primary event in photoconduction is the generation of singlet excited states. Thicknessdependence studies on the photoconductivity indicate that carrier generation is a surface process and that the mean diffusion length of the excited state is approximately 20 nm. In short (˜1 s) light exposures the photocurrent always increases linearly with both the applied voltage and the light intensity. In continuous light the current-voltage characteristics are highly non-linear and the photocurrent shows a square-root intensity dependence at high intensities and small applied potentials. These results are interpreted in terms of second-order recombination and charge-trapping processes at high carrier densities. The photovoltage usually shows a logarithmic intensity dependence at high intensities and its maximum value in thick films is 800 mV with the Al electrode acquiring a negative polarity. This behaviour, together with some observations on the asymmetry of photocurrent-voltage characteristics and the effect of substituting an aqueous top electrode for Au, further suggest that the photoactive surface is a p-n junction between the Chl and Al₂O₃ layers.     

Rh-doped SrTiO3 photocatalyst electrode showing cathodic photocurrent for water splitting under visible-light irradiation

A Rh-doped SrTiO(3) (SrTiO(3):Rh) photocatalyst electrode that was readily prepared by pasting SrTiO(3):Rh powder onto a transparent indium tin oxide electrode gave a cathodic photocurrent under visible-light irradiation (λ > 420 nm), indicating that the SrTiO(3):Rh photocatalyst electrode possessed p-type semiconductor character. The cathodic photocurrent increased with an increase in the amount of doped Rh up to 7 atom %. The incident-photon-to-current efficiency at 420 nm was 0.18% under an applied potential of -0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl for the SrTiO(3):Rh(7 atom %) photocatalyst electrode. The photocurrent was confirmed to be due to water splitting by analyzing the evolved H(2) and O(2). The water splitting proceeded with the application of an external bias smaller than 1.23 V versus a Pt counter electrode under visible-light irradiation and also using a solar simulator, suggesting that solar energy conversion should be possible with the present photoelectrochemical water splitting.     

Self-assembling photosynthetic reaction centers on electrodes for current generation

Photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs) made from photosynthetic organisms can be used in solar batteries because their molecules cause light-induced charge separation. We present a simple immobilization system of the intact RCs from Rhodobacter sphaeroides on an electrode that uses nickel ligand binding by the hexameric histidine tag on H subunit (HHisRC). The binding constant of HHisRC to the nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni−NTA) chip measured with a surface plasmon resonance instrument was 1.6×10⁸M⁻¹. HHisRCs were immobilized on an indium tin oxide electrode overlaid with an Ni−NTA gold substrate. The photoinduced displacement current of this electrode was measured to estimate the orientation of HHisRC on the electrode, and the detachability of HHisRC from the electrode was determined by using an imidazole solution wash. The direction of the flash-light-induced displacement current suggested that the H subunit side of the immobilized HHisRC faced the surface of the electrode. The photoinduced current disappeared after the electrode was washed in the imidazole solution. This simple immobilization and detachment of HHisRC to the electrode might be useful for making a reproducible photocurrent device.     

多量子阱GaAs／Al_xGa_（1－x）As电极的瞬态光电流行为

多量子阱ＧａＡｓ／Ａｌ＿ｘＧａ＿（１－ｘ）Ａｓ电极的瞬态光电流行为刘尧,肖绪瑞,林原（中国科学院感光化学所,北京１００１０１）曾一平,孙殿照,郑海群（中国科学院半导体研究所,北京１０００８３）由于半导体超晶格（量子阱）能带的量子化,使其具有许多完全不...