title: Photosystem I protein films at electrode surfaces for solar energy conversion.
abstract: Over the course of a few billion years, nature has developed extraordinary nanomaterials for the efficient conversion of solar energy into chemical energy. One of these materials, photosystem I (PSI), functions as a photodiode capable of generating a charge separation with nearly perfect quantum efficiency. Because of the favorable properties and natural abundance of PSI, researchers around the world have begun to study how this protein complex can be integrated into modern solar energy conversion devices. This feature article describes some of the recent materials and methods that have led to dramatic improvements (over several orders of magnitude) in the photocurrents and photovoltages of biohybrid electrodes based on PSI, with an emphasis on the research activities in our laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Departments of †Chemistry and ‡Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University , Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gizzie
authors.forename: Siyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Cliffel
authors.forename: G Kane
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Jennings
mesh_terms: D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004566:Electrodes; D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012993:Solar Energy; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex