title: Mimicking nature: a novel peptide-based bio-inspired approach for solar energy conversion.
abstract: A bioinspired approach is applied to photoelectric conversion devices. A 3(10)-helical hexapeptide bearing a pyrene unit is immobilized on a gold-covered TiO2 surface. The device is integrated for the first time in a dye-sensitized solar cell, exhibiting stability after several measurements. The approach could have promising applications in the field of optoelectronics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome (Italy), Fax: (+39) 72594328. emanuela.gatto@uniroma2.it.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quatela
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tagliaferro
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Zotti
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Formaggio
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toniolo
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venanzi
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D032701:Biomimetics / Q000379:methods; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012993:Solar Energy; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D010455:Peptides; C009495:titanium dioxide; D006046:Gold; D014025:Titanium
keywords: bioinspired materials; dye-sensitized solar cells; molecular organization; peptides; photoelectrochemistry