title: Interaction and charge transfer between isolated thylakoids and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.
abstract: Charge separation in photosynthetic light reactions has gained much interest in an attempt to fabricate biological photovoltaic devices through integration of photosynthetic material and conducting electrodes. Direct interaction between thylakoids, as representatives of photosynthetic materials, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is expected to increase charge transfer. Thylakoids are isolated from spinach leaf chloroplasts and pristine MWCNTs are dispersed in Triton X-100 (TX-100) as a surfactant to retain their electronic properties through non-covalent interactions. The Raman and UV-Vis spectra suggest close interactions between the thylakoids and the MWCNTs. Stable thylakoids including the embedded protein subunits and light harvesting antennas can be detected from the non-shifted 680 nm absorbance peak. The 50% fluorescence quenching in the MWCNTs-thylakoids preparation as compared to thylakoids alone using single wavelength excitation suggests charge transfer between the thylakoids and the MWCNTs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioengineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Block N1.3, Singapore 637457. SLim@ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Herlina Arianita
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Dewi
authors.forename: Gengzhi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lianxi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Sierin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000378:metabolism; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D017830:Octoxynol / Q000737:chemistry; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000378:metabolism; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D017830:Octoxynol