title: Hybrid bio-photo-electro-chemical cells for solar water splitting.
abstract: Photoelectrochemical water splitting uses solar power to decompose water to hydrogen and oxygen. Here we show how the photocatalytic activity of thylakoid membranes leads to overall water splitting in a bio-photo-electro-chemical (BPEC) cell via a simple process. Thylakoids extracted from spinach are introduced into a BPEC cell containing buffer solution with ferricyanide. Upon solar-simulated illumination, water oxidation takes place and electrons are shuttled by the ferri/ferrocyanide redox couple from the thylakoids to a transparent electrode serving as the anode, yielding a photocurrent density of 0.5 mA cm(-2). Hydrogen evolution occurs at the cathode at a bias as low as 0.8 V. A tandem cell comprising the BPEC cell and a Si photovoltaic module achieves overall water splitting with solar to hydrogen efficiency of 0.3%. These results demonstrate the promise of combining natural photosynthetic membranes and man-made photovoltaic cells in order to convert solar power into hydrogen fuel.
authors.affiliation: The Nancy &Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Roy I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Pinhassi
authors.affiliation: The Nancy &Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kallmann
authors.affiliation: The Nancy &Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Gadiel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saper
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Hen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dotan
authors.affiliation: Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Artyom
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linkov
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Asaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Varda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Liveanu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Gadi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.affiliation: Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Noam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adir
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Avner
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rothschild
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012993:Solar Energy; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D013472:Sunlight; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D006859:Hydrogen; D010100:Oxygen